I.O.I Just Dethroned Everyone in July’s Girl Group Rankings — Here’s Why

A decade after their debut, I.O.I just proved nostalgia has serious commercial power. The group has rocketed to the top of this month’s girl group brand reputation rankings, overtaking established names that have dominated for years.

What I.O.I Rankings Show?

According to the Korean Business Research Institute’s July report, based on consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community activity data collected from June 12 to July 12, I.O.I claimed the No. 1 spot with a brand reputation index of 5,552,322 — driven largely by buzz around their 10th anniversary comeback. Their positivity rating hit an impressive 92.86%.

Right behind them, RESCENE surged into second place with a massive 64.27% jump from last month, while ILLIT held steady at third with a modest rise. BLACKPINK landed a close fourth, and LE SSERAFIM rounded out the top five with a striking 55.17% increase.

Top 10 at a Glance

Why I.O.I’s Comeback Hit So Hard

Reunion projects are always a gamble — nostalgia can pull attention, but it doesn’t guarantee genuine engagement. I.O.I’s numbers suggest the opposite happened here: fans didn’t just show up, they responded with overwhelmingly positive sentiment, and terms like “unchanged” and “reunite” trending high suggest the group’s return felt authentic rather than manufactured.

Brand reputation indexes like this one are widely used across South Korea’s entertainment industry to gauge which acts are actually resonating with the public in real time, beyond just chart performance.

For more K-pop rankings and idol industry updates like this, check out the latest trending stories on TechnoSports.

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