Do K-Pop Consumers’ Fandom Activities Affect Their Happiness, Listening Intention, and Loyalty?

This study examines the influence of K-pop consumers' (online/offline) fandom activities on their happiness and their contemporary Christian music (CCM) listening intention and does so considering two base theories: activity theory and the content theory of motivation. In this context, we also examine the influence of happiness and CCM listening intention on CCM loyalty (word of mouth/purchase). We focus on global consumers of K-pop (people with experience in online/offline K-pop fandom activities) from two countries: the US and the UK. For our investigation, we surveyed these consumers between 1 April and 30 September 2022 through two global research agencies, namely Entrust Survey and META G DATA lnc. We received valid responses from 331 participants. We then used structural equation modeling to analyze the data and found the following: First, although K-pop consumers' online fandom activities did not have a statistically significant effect on their happiness, their offline fandom activities did. Second, their fandom activities had a statistically significant positive effect on their CCM listening intention, although their offline fandom activities did not. Third, their happiness also had a statistically significant positive effect on their CCM listening intention. Ultimately, their happiness and CCM listening intention had a statistically significant positive effect on their loyalty (CCM word of mouth/purchase). We identified a new trend and applied it in the context of K-pop culture and CCM, thereby contributing to consumer psychology studies through creative/innovative empirical research.