Participation of South Korean Celebrities in the Marketing Campaigns of Luxury Brands as a Determining Factor of the Purchasing Intention of Representatives of the Russian K-pop Community

Over the past decade, K-pop has gained a huge popularity worldwide, including in Russia. At the same time, the influence of Korean celebrities/artists has increased significantly, leading to greater interest in luxury brands in these artists as effective ambassadors of luxury brands. Luxury brand companies have been using celebrities for a long time to create brand awareness and stimulate sales. In the 21st century, social media and digital platforms played a crucial role in disseminating information and shaping awareness of luxury items enjoyed by Korean celebrities/artists and can provide insight into effective marketing strategies. The purpose of this study is to establish the relationship between the impact of Korean celebrities/artists as brand ambassadors on the awareness of luxury brands and purchase intention among the Russian K-pop community in the 21 century. The online survey was conducted from March 1, 2024 to April 1, 2024. A total amount of 107 people took part in the study. They were asked to answer 24 short and detailed questions. The questions were designed to confirm or refute hypotheses that arose during the study of the issue. As a result of the survey, it was revealed that brands that cooperate with South Korean celebrities arouse consumer interest among representatives of the Russian K-pop community. Most of the respondents noted the fact that the most important for them are the appearance and reputation of the celebrity, who is the face of the brand, when making a purchase. In addition, the purchase of clothes from brands whose ambassadors are respondents' favorite idols is regarded by the participants of this survey as support for celebrities or a desire to get closer to their favorite idol.