My LINE FRIENDS Experience
01OVERVIEW
During my three-month marketing internship at IPX (LINE FRIENDS), I worked with the Artist IP Biz 1 team on global marketing initiatives for BT21 and TRUZ, two character brands created in collaboration with K-pop artists.
My work spanned content ideation, global social media operations, and performance analysis, connecting creative storytelling with fan behavior and data-driven insights.
Creative
- Content ideation
- Story-driven formats
- Illustration feedback
Strategy
- Fan & trend research
- MD marketing ideas
- Campaign concepts
Analytics
- Per-post performance logs
- Follower tracking
- Monthly reports
A workplace where characters come to life.
Seeing how a character company lives its brand every day changed how I thought about content.
02SNS CONTENT PUBLISHING
From Creative Assets to Global Audiences
Managing BT21's content publishing workflow from initial review to final publication.
I managed BT21's Instagram publishing workflow, from reviewing creative assets and writing captions to coordinating localization and final approvals. Working with creative and global marketing teams, I ensured each post maintained brand consistency and was published on schedule.
FINAL CONTENT
What fans saw on @bt21_official
Double-click the post ♥
A teaser that sends fans to the feed
AT A GLANCE
BEHIND THE SCENES
Content Publishing Workflow
- 01
Content Handoff
Reviewed assets for brand consistency and publishing requirements.
- 02
Caption Writing
Wrote English hooks and captions that match each character's voice.
- 03
Post Mockup
Prepared feed and Story previews for internal review.
- 04
Localization
Coordinated Japanese translations and reviewed localized copy.
- 05
Final Approval
Shared content with global teams and incorporated feedback.
- 06
Publishing
Publish posts and Instagram Stories.
BEHIND THE POST — CASE EXAMPLE
From Sketch to Publication
Preserving Character Identity Through Design Feedback
I worked with the design team to refine BT21's ice cream-themed Instagram content, identifying character details that could be misinterpreted across global audiences. Through feedback and revisions, we helped preserve BT21's distinct character identities while keeping the playful summer concept.
Initial Sketch
Each scoop drawn as a BT21 character, with an Oreo flavor the members love.
Creative Feedback
I'm sharing the sketches we're currently working on for the ice cream, Cookie Day, and mosquito-themed content.
For the ice cream content, we're planning to add the flavors (Oreo) that the actual members like and make it a little more colorful.
Please let me know if you notice anything that might be an issue!
Thanks for sharing, Soye! It's super cute! 🐻
For the ice cream content, is the intention to represent the BTS members' symbolic animals, or is it meant to represent the BT21 characters?
I wanted to clarify because it could be interpreted either way. If the intention is to represent BT21, certain animals may carry different meanings across countries. For example, there are guidelines against depicting specific members as certain animals, such as dogs or rabbits.
Other than that, everything looks great!
I think the intention was to reference the members' symbolic animals, but the way TATA and SHOOKY are represented feels a little ambiguous.
It might be better to revise them so they resemble the BT21 members more closely.
Yes, I think that would be fine as long as they don't look too much like specific animals! Thank you for checking! 🐻
I'll check that part and pass the feedback along!
I'm sharing the updated version of the BT21 ice cream content that Kyung-eun is currently working on.
Please take a look and let me know if you have any additional feedback!
Thank you for sharing, Soye! 🐻
I couldn't really tell from the sketch, but now that I see the colored version, the ice cream details are much clearer!
One thing I noticed is that SHOOKY's ice cream looks a little too much like a cat. Would it be possible to remove just the whiskers?
Everything else looks super cute, and I don't see any other issues!
Got it! I'll check that detail and pass it along!
Key feedback points
Final Post
6,939 reposts · 227 comments
03PROJECT SHOWCASE
From Research to Creative Concepts
Beyond managing social media content, I researched fan behavior and merchandise trends to develop creative campaign concepts that connect BT21 with its global audience.
BT21 Merchandise Marketing Ideation
Turning merchandise into meaningful fan experiences.
I analyzed fan preferences in the US and Japan and explored how character-driven storytelling could make merchandise more engaging. Using these insights, I proposed content concepts ranging from unboxing ASMR and DIY customization to interactive fan campaigns.
Monthly Content Planning
I developed monthly plans for 8 social media posts (2 per week), using performance reports to understand fan interests and engagement trends. These insights guided seasonal and character-driven concepts designed to encourage fan participation.
- TUE11
- THU13
- TUE18
- THU20
- TUE25
- THU27
PLAN Aug 4 (Tue) · #Sandcastle selfie
A sandcastle concept: a BT21 face peeking out of the sand, with sunglasses and sunscreen tan-line details.
PUBLISHED “Sandy summer fun!”
PLAN Aug 6 (Thu) · #Ice cream
Ice cream decorating: animal-shaped scoops and sprinkles, turned into a BT21 version of each character.
PUBLISHED “Hehe, pretty similar, right?”
Social Performance Tracking & Reporting
Understanding what fans engage with, and using those insights to plan better content.
As part of the BT21 marketing team at IPX, I helped plan content for a global fanbase. To understand which content resonated with fans, I tracked performance across Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok and analyzed audience reactions in monthly reports.
My goal was to turn performance data and fan feedback into actionable ideas for the next month's content.
THE QUESTION I EXPLORED
How can we create content that fans actually want to engage with?
- 01MeasureTrack performance
- 02UnderstandFind audience patterns
- 03ApplyPlan new content
- 04ExecutePublish and read fan responses
Context Historical audience growth on Instagram + X: 22.49M (Dec 2024) → 29.63M (Jun 2026). Shown for scale, not as an internship result.
01 — Performance Tracking
Building a clearer picture of content performance
I tracked post-level metrics and follower changes across four social platforms, organizing the data into weekly logs. These records helped me compare content performance over time and identify which posts needed closer analysis.
- Reach
- Impressions
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares
- Engagement rate
- Follower change
02 — Audience Insights
Understanding what drives fan engagement
Every month, I compared top-performing content and analyzed fan comments to understand what resonated with audiences and why. These findings helped identify opportunities for future content.
A Top 5 Instagram posts · June 2026
Which content generated the most engagement?
Switch the metric, then pick a post
Accounts reached, total impressions, likes + comments, and comments per post. Source: my June 2026 IPX social report, Instagram only.
INSIGHT
Character Chemistry Drives Conversation
Although the MANG & SHOOKY post ranked fifth in reach, it ranked second in comments. Fans connected their interaction to SOPE (j-hope and SUGA), suggesting that character relationships can spark conversation beyond reach alone.
B Fan comment analysis · RJ tomato plush post
Why were fans responding to the content?
- 💚Visual appealCute character reactions
- 🛍️Purchase interestExcitement for new MD
- 💜Artist connectionAssociations with BTS members
- 😂Fan humorPlayful community responses
KEY FINDING
Fan responses extended beyond visual appeal. Comments revealed purchase interest, emotional connections to BTS members, and playful interactions with the characters.
C Bonus research · MD launch tracking
How did fans respond to merchandise launches?
I compared social mentions, store-link activity, and fan comments across June's BT21 merchandise launches to understand how different releases attracted attention.
- Jun 17BASIC edition
- Jun 18BUSAN edition
- Jun 23K-Hangari edition
QUANTITATIVE
Social mentions + Store-link activityQUALITATIVE
Fan comments + Sentiment themesKEY FINDING
Fan responses highlighted the importance of launch timing, artist associations, and product aesthetics. This suggested opportunities to connect merchandise campaigns more closely with moments fans already cared about.
03 — Data-Informed Decisions
From insight to published content
The June report ended with a recommendation: reflect member chemistry and add BTS-linked elements to encourage fans' own participation. With a fellow intern, I turned that finding into directions for two July posts.
EXAMPLE 01 · JULY 7
Rain Post Image
INSIGHT
Fans responded to character interactions and chemistry.
From the June To-BeCONTENT DIRECTION
Bring BT21 characters together in a playful scene with a hidden detail.
OBSERVED RESPONSE
12.4K reposts · 303 comments
EXAMPLE 02 · JULY 14
Nighttime Reel Reel
INSIGHT
Fan reactions suggested opportunities for character-led storytelling.
An idea we developed from the June analysisCONTENT DIRECTION
Use a familiar nighttime setting and a mysterious caption to invite interpretation.
OBSERVED RESPONSE
57.6K reposts · 1,312 comments
Co-planned with a fellow intern and refined with the design team.
An image post and a Reel are different formats, so these numbers show how fans responded rather than a head-to-head comparison.
- Measure
- Understand
- Apply
- Execute
From performance metrics to people-centered decisions.
Tracking content taught me to look beyond numbers and ask why people respond the way they do. By combining performance data with fan feedback, I learned to turn audience insights into creative decisions, a process I now bring to UX design.
04TESTIMONIALS
Words From My Team
Feedback and reflections from the people I collaborated with during my internship at IPX (LINE FRIENDS).
Hyun Ji Park
Lead · Artist IP Biz 1
Sumin proactively explored fan trends, merchandise preferences, and content opportunities to support BT21's marketing initiatives. Her research and structured ideas contributed to discussions around new content concepts and fan engagement strategies.
Through content performance tracking, audience research, and campaign ideation, Sumin demonstrated an ability to connect analytical findings with creative opportunities.
Soo Jeong Park
Team Member · Artist IP Biz 1
Sumin carefully reviewed creative assets and offered constructive feedback on character details, helping the team consider how BT21's visual identity would be perceived by global audiences.
Throughout the content development process, Sumin communicated her observations clearly, incorporated feedback, and worked collaboratively to refine creative concepts while respecting the team's direction.
05PERSONAL TAKEAWAYS
What I Learned
01 / EMPATHY
Design goes beyond aesthetics
I learned that even small visual details can shape how fans perceive and connect with a character.
02 / DATA
Data gives creativity direction
Analyzing engagement taught me to turn audience behavior into insights that inform creative decisions.
03 / COLLABORATION
Great ideas grow through feedback
Working across creative and marketing teams taught me to refine ideas through feedback and iteration.
“I learned to design with empathy, think with data, and grow through collaboration.”
06FINAL PRESENTATION
Below I've included my final presentation summarizing my internship.
All in all, IPX was where I learned to design for fans: start from what they love, test it with data, and shape it together with the team. Thank you to everyone on Artist IP Biz 1 for an unforgettable three months
LIFE AT IPX
Photo dump 📸
- Hi, BROWN!
- Lounge break
- Bye bye BT21 💜
- Birthday props
- Toast day
- Snack drop
- Welcome kit
- Bagel event
- Bagels for all