Weki Meki: A Media-Focused Journey

At this point, it’s hard to be a band or musician without using all the other media formats. Artists are using TikTok, Instagram, and so many other outlet to try and drive fans to their music. K-pop is no different. However, one group managed to use media to their advantage their whole career, even though they didn’t last for a super long time. That group was Weki Meki.

Weki Meki was a girl group who debuted in 2017 under Fantagio Entertainment. Prior to their time with Weki Meki, many of the members were part of the teen group i-Teen Girls. They immediately saw success, as their debut EP became the highest-selling album by a girl group the whole year. The group had eight members, and used media outlet to their advantage through the years they were together. They showed a strong use of media through a reality TV show documenting their journeys, a year chock full of music releases, and very clear communications when members were on hiatus or the group was disbanding.

In 2018, the group was the feature of a reality show titled Weki Meki, mohae? (otherwise known as Weki Meki, What’s Up?). The show followed the members of the group for 60 days as they transitioned from rookies to all-around idols. The content of the show included challenges, to-do lists and wishlists, and various training exercises. The show also included the group’s first guerilla concert and their first moments living in dorms together. Having these experiences shared with the public gave fans a lot of opportunities to connect to and learn about the group and helped build the personality of the group through media outside of music.

 

 

Another way the group used media to their advantage was flooding the market with music in 2020. Although many bands choose to build hype around a small number of songs, Weki Meki instead released several mini-albums and other singles (along with accompanying MVs, photos, and all other forms of media). In the span of one year, the group added a significant amount of music to their discography, which boosted their credibility and ways for fans to interact with their content.

Lastly, the group used social media channels very effectively to communicate changes with the group’s activities. For example, when Yoojung had to take a break for health issues, the whole process was well communicated. Additionally, when Weki Meki’s final single was first announced, Fantagio also made it clear what this would be the group’s final release. While the future of many groups has been left uncertain for years sometimes, Weki Meki were upfront about the disbanding and were able to give fans closure and time to appreciate the last release fully.

 

 

Overall, while it is sad to see Weki Meki go, we applaud the group for being so savvy with media opportunities. Openness and directness go a long way to building fan trust, and having faithful fans is often the real success in music.