According to new data from social and media intelligence firm Meltwater, the Philippines ranks sixth among 10 countries for male group mentions and fifth for female group mentions.
The data comes from a survey covering 10 countries between January and June 2026: Brazil, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, the UK, and the US.
Looking more closely at the local numbers, however, reveals an important distinction for Philippine K-pop fandoms: being talked about and being actively engaged with are two different skills.
Here’s what stood out:
Brand collaborations can turn attention into engagement
Brand collaborations were real engagement drivers, especially when they tapped into fan emotion. ENHYPEN converts its 19.3% share of mentions into a high 28.6% engagement rate, driven in large part by its Dunkin’ Philippines partnership and a widely attended “homecoming” event.
Fandom creativity can amplify smaller conversations
Fandom creativity also fuels engagement, even when overall conversation levels are lower. ILLIT accounts for just 4.15% of the Philippine conversation, but ranks third in engagement at 16.2%, thanks to content that fans repurpose into shareable reaction memes.
CORTIS similarly turns its 3.56% mention rate into 12% engagement through member-specific fan edits and live clips. In both cases, fan output plays a key role in elevating engagement.
Individual members can drive group-wide engagement
Enthusiasm for one member can also help push an entire group’s engagement. IVE holds 8.4% of mentions against 12.4% of engagement, driven by a mix of tour content, as well as styling and hair-related posts connected to Jang Wonyoung.
So long as fans have group or individual activities to make their own, engagement will follow.
Across these acts, a pattern emerges: engagement is driven by specific moments that fandoms can get excited about and discuss, regardless of the size of the conversation. Brand partnerships, fan-fueled content, and actual group or member activity all give audiences something to tune into and engage with.
For marketers and brands, the findings suggest that measuring fandom influence goes beyond simply tracking how often a group is mentioned. The nature of the moment and what fans do with it can be just as important in determining the strength of audience response.
Male Groups
| Group | Share of PH Mentions | Share of PH Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| BTS | 40.2% | 34.4% |
| ENHYPEN | 19.3% | 28.6% |
| SEVENTEEN | 15.5% | 12.6% |
| NCT | 5.74% | 2.28% |
| ATEEZ | 5.1% | 2.23% |
| Stray Kids | 4.07% | 2.3% |
| CORTIS | 3.56% | 12% |
| TXT | 4.05% | 4.96% |
Female Groups
| Group | Share of PH Mentions | Share of PH Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| BLACKPINK | 24.1% | 32% |
| TWICE | 23.5% | 17.2% |
| aespa | 16.3% | 6.86% |
| Hearts2Hearts | 9.76% | 5.93% |
| ITZY | 9.43% | 3.53% |
| IVE | 8.4% | 12.4% |
| ILLIT | 4.15% | 16.2% |
