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Inquivix Insights No. 1 – February Issue 2022

Inquivix Insights No. 1 - February Issue 2022

The Korean market is fascinating, always changing with new trends emerging all the time. We’ll look at some of those changes so you can have an understanding when sailing in these waters yourself next time.

1. Fair Trade Commission Found 17,000 “Back Ads” on Social Media

Fair Trade Commission

Recently the Fair Trade Commission announced that they have detected 17,000 “back advertisements” on social media sites without notifying them of sponsorship. These posts included 9538 Instagram cases, 7383 Naver blogs, and 99 YouTube videos advertising products in some way related to Korea or bearing markings suggesting it may be an advertisement but without specifically stating so. The majority (38.8%) were found “inappropriate to display economic interests” while 35.3% had no label whatsoever which has come up as something potentially misleading.

2. Google Is Continuing Its Digital Advertising Business

Google Is Continuing Its Digital Advertising Business

Alphabet announced that its sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 were $75.33 billion and the net profit was $20,600 million! This represents an increase of sales by 32% and net profit by about a third from the previous year. This jump is attributed largely due to COVID-19 related eCommerce opportunities which led companies to expand their advertising efforts through Google AdSense. This has led to an increase in Google advertising revenue.

3. KOBACO Supports Advertisements from 177 Local Small Business Owners

KOBACO Supports

KOBACO (Korean Broadcast Advertising Corporation) announced that it will provide support for small business owners to produce and transmit their own advertisements through local media. This is expected to continue through the Regional Broadcast Advertisement Activation Foundation Construction Project. Subject to support are small merchants and small-scale manufacturers. The selected companies will receive 90% of the production and transmission costs up to 9 million Won. 

4. Let’s Revive Consumer Sentiment during the Holidays! “Post-SOL” Marketing Activities in the Distribution Industry

“Post-SOL

The retail industry has started to market for “post-Sol.” Their intention is aimed at the demand for temporary increased consumption of gift certificates and New Year’s cash gifts distributed during the holiday season. In particular, marketing activities are underway seeking housewives who want relief from stress from all the holiday activities and guests.

5. Daehong Agency Has Opened a 7-Eleven Meta-Bus Store

Daehong Agency

Virtual reality is coming to 7-Eleven! The Daehong Planning company has announced that they will be opening a virtual reality (VR) convenience store called “7-Eleven Kaia Island Branch” in Haegin’s meta-bus game “Play Together”. The VR store is expected to be just like your average offline store from the display stand to the staffroom. However, it has all sorts of customized features like kiosks connected to the 7-Eleven app or self-delivery applications.

6. Why Did Kia Bet on Ads Worth More than 250 Million Won per Second?

 Did Kia Bet

In a world where people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint, Kia has decided that they want the electric vehicle industry booming with growth. It is going to announce its first electric vehicle EV6, which has recently officially been released in the region. A 60-second advertisement will be played on February 13th at the U.S. NFL Championship Super Bowl game. Super Bowl advertisement airtime costs USD 6.5 million for 30 seconds as it is considered the largest sports event in the U.S. with over 100 million people watching the game.

7. Eco-Friendly Marketing Activities Aimed at MZ Generation

 Eco-Friendly

In the home appliance industry, companies are exploring ways to reduce waste and make products more sustainable. Recently “value consumption” marketing has been actively trying to capture the MZ generation (both Millennial & Gen Z) which is the mainstay consumers of today’s world. LG Electronics is conducting a pilot project evaluating the possibility for reusing packaging materials while SK Magic applies eco-friendly materials for both inside and outside their product except essential parts.

Conclusion

Korean market is ever-changing, but the current trends seem to show more of a positive impact. For any business looking to enter, and those who are already there, the knowledge of the Korean market dynamics at play can be a huge advantage. So look out for more updates on South Korean marketing from us. We’ll come back with another episode of Korean Marketing News soon!

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