BTS and the 6 Principles of Persuasion

Robert Cialdini, an experimental social psychologist, once set out on a 3-year journey to understand the psychology of compliance. To put it simply, he was curious about ‘the factors that cause one person to say yes to another person.’ His mission sent him to the offices of what he calls ‘compliance professionals’ – the fundraisers, recruiters and advertisers. He observed that the dozens of tactics employed by these compliance practitioners could all be distilled down to 6 psychological principles at work – consistency, reciprocity, consensus, authority, liking and scarcity. It is these 6 ‘principles of influence’ that Cialdini has captured extensively in his bestselling book ‘Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion’.

When discussing large scale influence, one can’t help but think of BTS – a Korean music group whose global domination continues its steep upward ascent despite an environment that consistently pits all odds against them. However, if you were to read even the first few pages of the book, you will quickly sense an extremely scientific angle to these 6 principles, an approach that rests heavily on the fact that behaviour can be easily governed by fixed habit patterns or mental shortcuts. This exploitative narrative of influence the book portrays doesn’t fit in at all with the authenticity that BTS so naturally operates with.

So how then did BTS become such an influential force to be reckoned with? Are they an exception to the psychological principles of influence? Not at all. In fact, BTS communicates in a way that aligns perfectly with the 6 principles. What’s fascinating though is that their authenticity demonstrates an earnestness so disparate from the ‘mindless compliance’ approach often taken by their profit chasing counterparts. They are a refreshing example of the 6 principles in action and offer the world a glimpse into what is truly possible when you hold purpose and not process, at the centre of what you do. They show that influence is not necessarily exerted, but rather, inspired.

So here are a few examples of how BTS have ‘inspired’ influence in the frame of Cialdini’s 6 Principles of Persuasion:

Principle 1: Reciprocation

This principle is perhaps one of the biggest features that set BTS apart from other artists. Many radio hosts and feature writers have marveled at the two-way relationship that they share with their fans, the ARMY. There is a constant voluntary exchange of generosity between the two that is further nuanced by the fact that they don’t expect anything in return outright. For instance, BTS regularly shares high quality content free of cost. This includes a variety show, bonus tracks, special performances and even whole mixtapes. The members often release their mixtapes (deeply personal bodies of work) to the public through free Google Drive, Dropbox and SoundCloud links posted on Twitter. What makes this even more fascinating is the fact that J-Hope’s recent mixtape Hope World charted at #1 on iTunes charts in over 70 countries…after being released entirely for free before being uploaded onto paid platforms. In fact, after BTS’ rapline recently dropped a bonus track Ddaeng, many fans expressed their wish to have the option to ‘purchase’ the track as opposed to just stream it for free on SoundCloud.

Principle 2: Commitment and Consistency

This principle is driven by the simple notion that one is motivated to demonstrate consistency by following through on what they’ve previously committed to. Both BTS and ARMYs are known for always setting higher goals for themselves and committing to producing better work or working harder. And yet somehow, they always deliver. While they’re not tied down to them, BTS often talk about their goals during interviews or livestreams. ARMYs on the other hand are known to regularly set ‘comeback goals’ – a set of targets that the fandom collectively rallies to achieve to ensure BTS’ success.

Principle 3: Social Proof (Consensus)

Social proof is nothing but viewing a behavior as more ‘correct’ the more people we see demonstrating it. BTS are constantly referred to as ‘role models’ by virtue of their social consciousness and how their social messages permeate through all aspects of their art. It’s ironic that BTS promotes consensus of certain behaviours by daring to do exactly what society inhibits them from doing. This is where they play an extremely crucial role in ‘normalizing’ behaviours that are rejected by certain communities – such as being vocal about one’s mental health, accepting one’s sexual orientation or even criticizing one’s government. This has inspired millions of fans from across the world to share about what they’re going through and to accept & love themselves for who they truly are.

Principle 4: Liking

While this principle (one where you are more likely to be influenced by someone you like) is almost guaranteed for any celebrated artist, BTS are again, known for going the extra mile when it comes to maintaining a strong relationship with their fans as well as the people they work & interact with. Many industry professionals and fans alike have testified to how ‘likeable’ BTS are. This is often a result of instances like the time they helped staff clean up the venue after an event, or the time they all took the effort to make notes during a press conference so that they could provide better responses to the journalists’ questions. BTS are also known for taking special time out to write letters to the fans, do bonus live stream events to answer fan questions or purchase surprise meals for their fans after a long day of filming.

Principle 5: Authority

In this case, authority doesn’t equate power, but rather credibility. And that BTS has in copious amounts thanks to both the expertise they’ve developed as well as the long period of time they spent building that expertise. Again what sets BTS apart from other artists is their consistently high quality musical output as well as their ability to continuously grow and pick up new skills. Every single member on the group has now honed a new skill that was completely absent from their original skillset before they joined the group. They are also one of the few Korean groups who are known to self-produce their work. While this is not common practice, it definitely gives BTS an additional edge due to the authenticity with which they create their music.

Principle 6: Scarcity

This is perhaps the only principle I see BTS having very little control over. As the name suggests, scarcity is when you want more of something because there’s very little of it left. However, it is without a doubt that the bigger BTS get, the more difficult it will be for fans to gain access to certain opportunities. This is already evident in the nightmarish concert ticket sales where tickets sell out in 15 minutes and even more in the exorbitant rates that fans are willing to pay re-sellers for the same event.

While there are still a multitude of connections that remain to be made, it is already clear that BTS is one of the most influential and unique music artists out there today. They continue to break ceilings with every consecutive comeback and I for one cannot wait to witness the true extent of their social reach and impact.

BTS’ last installment of the Love Yourself series titled ‘Love Yourself: Answer’ was released on the 24th of August, 2018. Now available on iTunes, Spotify and Google Music.