According to the Korea Business Research Institute, 8,805,318 pieces of rookie idol brand big data were analyzed between February 3 and March 3, 2026. This marks a 24.94% decrease compared to the 11,731,415 data points collected in February.
The brand reputation index measures consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community engagement, reflecting how online behavior influences brand consumption. The March rankings evaluated idol groups that debuted in 2023 or later, combining both boy groups and girl groups into a single category.
KiiiKiii, consisting of Jiyu, Isol, Sui, Haeum, and Kiya, achieved a brand reputation index of 1,246,411. Their participation index reached 295,568, media index 362,476, communication index 329,201, and community index 259,166. Notably, the group recorded a 76.42% increase compared to their February score of 706,506, signaling a sharp rise in influence.
The group recently held a showcase for their second mini-album Delulu Pack at YES24 Live Hall in Seoul. The album includes six tracks, led by the title song “404 (New Era)” alongside “Delulu,” “Underdogs,” “Meongnyang,” “Dizzy,” and “To Me From Me.” In link analysis, keywords such as “record,” “hot,” and “rise” ranked highly, while keyword analysis highlighted “404 (New Era),” “Delulu,” and “Underdogs.” Their positive sentiment ratio stood at an impressive 92.12%.
TWS (Shinyu, Dohun, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin) secured second place with a brand reputation index of 805,060. While still maintaining strong visibility, the group saw a 28.40% decrease from February’s 1,124,412 score.
Hearts2Hearts (Carmen, Jiwoo, Yuha, Stella, Jooeun, Aina, Ian, and Yeon) followed in third place with a brand reputation index of 719,479, reflecting a modest 0.79% increase compared to February.
Rounding out the Top 5 were Cortis in fourth place and AlphaDriveOne in fifth, both experiencing declines in their brand indices compared to the previous month.
An official from the Korea Business Research Institute noted that overall rookie idol brand big data volume decreased across consumption, issue, communication, and diffusion metrics in March. Nevertheless, KiiiKiii demonstrated significant upward momentum within the category.
The full Top 30 list for March 2026 includes KiiiKiii, TWS, Hearts2Hearts, Cortis, AlphaDriveOne, ILLIT, BABYMONSTER, KATSEYE, KickFlip, IZNА, and more — underscoring the increasingly competitive landscape among fourth- and fifth-generation rookie idols.
As the new wave of K-pop continues to expand globally, shifts in brand reputation rankings offer a real-time glimpse into which rising groups are capturing both public attention and digital buzz.
Sources: Daum | 스타뉴스
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