Redefining K-Pop: Meet the Team Behind TikTok Stage with Blackpink

On Oct. 21st, we saw over 2.7 million fans join live on the @TikTok_Stage account for an exclusive event with K-Pop sensations Blackpink, making it the second-most viewed TikTok Live event to date. During the event, the band interacted with fans and shared behind-the-scenes details and stories from their first full-length album, The Album. The hashtag #tiktokstagewithblackpink has also drawn over 149 million views, suggesting that this was one of the most popular live events in K-pop history!

Excited to learn more about what it's like to collaborate with global superstars on such large-scale events, we spoke with three members of Korea's Entertainment Marketing Team behind TikTok Stage: Yunha Lee, Sean Kim, and Jamie Han. In our conversation, they reflected on how their work is redefining the K-pop industry, live events, and the TikTok community itself.

Tell us about your background before joining the Entertainment Marketing Team, and what drew you to working at TikTok.

Yunha: "Prior to joining TikTok, I worked in marketing for a global travel booking platform, executing brand campaigns and building key partnerships. I use many of the same skills now to plan and execute promotions (like hashtag challenges) for artists in Korea and around the world! I was excited about working at TikTok because I saw the chance to create and drive the latest trends in the industry."

Jamie: "My previous job was working in the Media Business Division of a major broadcast network in Korea. During this time, I saw the decline of legacy media firsthand, which is what drew me to a new platform like TikTok -- I could see right away that it was the future."

Sean: "I've always been passionate about K-pop. I actually started my career covering K-pop for a top Korean media company, then moved into roles at agencies that worked directly with artists like PSY. I joined TikTok because I could see its potential for blowing up the K-pop industry and expanding its global popularity, which has already been realized in a lot of ways!"

How have your projects (like TikTok Stage) impacted live events during COVID-19?

Yunha: "Although the pandemic has improved recently in Korea, there are still restrictions on live in-person concerts. This is why we started the TikTok Stage initiative: to allow fans around the world a chance to support and interact with their favorite artists live, and completely for free. Since the reception and popularity has been incredible -- live viewership has regularly surpassed 1.3 million -- there's clearly a demand for these kinds of events, and we're excited to continue them even after the pandemic has resolved (potentially even taking them offline)."

Jamie: "Historically, artists only interacted with the public through pre-planned interviews and meetups; there was always an arduous process involved with getting the consent of their agency and so on. However, TikTok is fundamentally changing this paradigm by making celebrities more accessible and relatable through in-app features like TikTok Stage, TikTok Stage Connect, and casual live streaming. And in the end, I think everyone wins."

What are some of the most memorable campaigns you've been involved with?

Yunha: "Last year, we opened a TikTok account for the K-pop band BTS that actually won a Guinness Record for the fastest account to reach one million followers! Some other highlights with BTS include the 'Chicken Noodle Soup Challenge' and the pre-release of their song 'ON' that broke several records. Another campaign I worked on was the wildly popular dance challenge for Zico's song 'Any Song' which ended up being the most successful song in Korea for the first half of 2020."

Sean: "The first two TikTok Stage events were quite memorable because the three of us only had a couple weeks to plan them, but we were still able to carry them out on such a large scale (the second TikTok Stage featured more than 21 rappers and hip hop artists!). Another memorable project was our 'Bored in the House' campaign, which involved raising funds to donate lunchboxes to those in need in Korea during COVID-19. Over 30 K-pop celebrities and 10,000 creators ended up participating, and it meant a lot for me to package and send out the lunchboxes in person alongside several artists."

How is your work with TikTok changing the K-pop industry?

Jamie: "Along with new trends come new norms. Previously, whenever artists released a new song, they would rely solely on the music video and advertising for promotion. Now that TikTok is so popular, however, K-pop artists basically have to plan a TikTok challenge before releasing a new song! Part of the reason for this new normal is because TikTok's short video format allows videos to go viral quite easily among a global audience, which makes it an incredibly powerful channel for promotion."

Sean: "With the rise of TikTok, celebrities need be more creative in driving trends. In order for their music or videos to go viral, they really have to think outside the box, because once they release something, countless fans will be reacting to and building on it with their own creative videos. I've also seen a shift over the past year in the way new Korean artists are starting their careers -- more often than not, their first social platform is TikTok! This trend is evident from the fact that many popular bands now have larger followings on TikTok than other channels."

How has working at TikTok allowed you to grow and reach your goals

Yunha: "TikTok has been a great place for me to grow because if we have an idea that is creative, we can just do it! There's real freedom to pursue what we're passionate about. I've worked at platform businesses before, but TikTok moves so much faster; there's always a new function or project to get involved with. On top of that, the work is always challenging and never one-dimensional -- for example, on some projects I serve as art director, on others as copywriter, and on others as brand manager -- and this has pushed me to grow on both a personal and professional level."

Sean: "Since I started on the 'other side' of the industry working for agencies, working on the platform side at TikTok has allowed me to develop an understanding of the whole ecosystem. I can now look at projects more broadly and come up with better ideas for what will succeed. As Yunha mentioned, things at TikTok move really quickly, so taking on projects at 'full tilt' also pushes me to grow in new ways."

By driving the latest industry trends and redefining the nature of live events during the pandemic, Korea's Entertainment Marketing Team exemplifies what it means to make an impact at TikTok. We're incredibly proud to have Yunha, Jamie, and Sean as part of Team TikTok, sharing in our mission to inspire creativity and bring joy around the globe!

Want to make an impact by joining us at TikTok? Check out our jobs page, where we have a number of open positions in Korea and globally. At TikTok, it's your turn to make a change!