Marketing in Korea Goes Digital

As advanced technology becomes more a part of daily life in Korea, the advertising and marketing industry is responding with new forms of advertising to grab attention from digitally-plugged-in consumers. Here's a list of five ways that marketers are going digital:

Advertisement

1. Digital Ads
Billboards have gone from static statements to short video clips. Take the LG Whisen advertisement below, which spans out across a corridor at the Incheon International Airport. Though they may be more expensive, these may completely replace traditional display advertisements.

Photo Credit: Betanews

2. Interactive Touch Screens
Media kiosks and poles, like the ones in Gangnam, provide information in an interactive and visually attractive way. They give information such as transportation schedules as well as places to find the latest movies, books and music. These take digital ads another step with their interactive capabilities.

Photo Credit: Who Wired

3. QR Codes
QR codes are increasingly being incorporated into traditional advertisements. Rather than being the actual ad itself, QR codes link out to other content such as company websites and encourage direct action, such as buying an item. The best example of this may be HomePlus' virtual grocery store, where passersby were able to purchase products and then have them delivered right to their doors by scanning QR codes.

Other major Korean companies are getting in on the QR codes. More recently, Samsung Electronics used QR codes in its "Gold Rush" campaign during the 2012 London Olympics.

4. Social Media
With over 10 million people on Facebook and over 5 million on Twitter in Korea, marketers are seeing that social media sites have too much potential to be missed. According to Social Baker's, the top five brands on Facebook in Korea are: SM Town, Samsung, SK Telecom, Tikle and Olleh KT. SM Town alone boasts over 1.5 million fans.

5. Image-recognition Technology
Last but certainly not least, SK Telecom has been working on an image recognition solution for outdoor advertising. This means it will use real-time customer statistics to display interactive, augmented reality or other types of ads to target specific demographics. For example, if a group of female teenagers pass by, an advertisement for cosmetics may pop up. The solution uses full high-definition cameras placed above or below large digital advertising screens.

It may bring to mind a scene from "Minority Report", where customized ads and information come up after Tom Cruise's character is recognized through a facial scan. However, SK Telecom's technology won't be that detailed because, well, that's just a downright invasion of privacy.

Photo Credit: The Digital Ape

Which of these do you think are the most effective? Let us know in the comments!

About the author by Donna Choi

Born and raised in the States, I came to Seoul in 2009 and have loved living and working in such a high-tech and connected city ever since. I enjoy collecting unique, cute gadgets/items (I have a bread-scented smartphone case!) and traveling around Korea. My personal mission while living in Korea: Try every type of Korean food known to exist

- Follow @advancedtechkr Twitter
- https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedTechKOR