Neuropsychological Mechanisms in K-Pop Consumer Engagement: A Tripartite Analysis of Scarcity Tactics, Random Reward and Cultural Mixture

Yixian Li

2025

Abstract

Head K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK have successfully reconstructed consumers' psychological decision-making chain through phased album releases, random photocard strategy, and cultural hybrid marketing, but their long-term sustainability and ethical controversies urgently need systematic research. Since its rise in the 1990s, the K-pop industry has become one of the pillars of the South Korean economy. Yet, the market is currently facing issues like growing homogenized competition and an excessive reliance on the fan economy. The rebuilding mechanisms of K-pop's three main marketing techniques are the main topic of this study. Staged scarcity design, like the three-phase release of BLACKPINK's albums, creates an anxiety premium through dynamic supply control, which triggers the prefrontal cortex's (DLPFC) anticipated deficit effect. The Girls' Generation randomised photocard is an example of a random award mechanism that uses uncertainty cues to create recurrent interest in the album by triggering dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) commissure. K-pop marketing reconstructs consumer psychology through the ‘anxiety-reward-empathy’ neural link, but its sustainability relies on the use of AI.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Li Y. (2025). Neuropsychological Mechanisms in K-Pop Consumer Engagement: A Tripartite Analysis of Scarcity Tactics, Random Reward and Cultural Mixture. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML; ISBN 978-989-758-775-7, SciTePress, pages 310-314. DOI: 10.5220/0013843200004719

in Bibtex Style

@conference{iceml25,
author={Yixian Li},
title={Neuropsychological Mechanisms in K-Pop Consumer Engagement: A Tripartite Analysis of Scarcity Tactics, Random Reward and Cultural Mixture},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML},
year={2025},
pages={310-314},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013843200004719},
isbn={978-989-758-775-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML
TI - Neuropsychological Mechanisms in K-Pop Consumer Engagement: A Tripartite Analysis of Scarcity Tactics, Random Reward and Cultural Mixture
SN - 978-989-758-775-7
AU - Li Y.
PY - 2025
SP - 310
EP - 314
DO - 10.5220/0013843200004719
PB - SciTePress