The recent success of Korean brands can be attributed to their knack for selling "pieces of identities" and empowering consumers with curated experiences, according to a marketing professor at French business school INSEAD. "Consumers today expect to purchase more than just products from a brand; they seek cultural and social elements. The swift execution of these elements has given rise to many successful K-brands," said David Dubois, an associate professor specializing in data-driven marketing at INSEAD, during a video interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday.
Dubois' recent article titled, "Inside the Success of South Korean Brands," was published in the Harvard Business Review on June 20. There, he shares insights into the K-brand phenomenon, unraveling secrets behind the country's burgeoning brand power. Dubois outlined four key strategies for K-brands' triumph: fast and fun discovery, immersive experiences, experiments through product life cycle and promotion through content creation.
As a marketing researcher, his most recent visit to Seoul last year provided fresh insights into how Korean brands are not only making waves locally but also reshaping global markets, from K-pop to K-food and beyond. "I was struck by dazzling retail stores featuring catchy, short-lived art installations that trigger consumer curiosity street after street," Dubois recalled. He highlighted how fashion brand store Ader Error's pastry shop Tongue Planet, opened side by side, enhances the bra.
