Companies eager to utilize social media networking for marketing, brand awareness


More and more Korean companies are using social networking sites as effective marketing tools. Some multinational companies and chambers of commerce in Korea are also following this trend to boost their visibility and profitability in one of the world’s most wired countries.

The reasons to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are numerous.

Liam Lusk and Carl Kwan from Kwalus, a public relations marketing company based in Seoul, pointed out that social networking is now the No. 1 use of the Internet, beating e-mail, and is influencing the way people make purchases.

British fashion firm Burberry has been touted by many SNS observers as the No. 1 luxury brand to use such media. The fashion giant uses every popular platform from Facebook to YouTube.

“We have a lot of stories to tell people, but if you tell them through traditional medium, it’s limited, so SNS reaches more people,” said a spokesperson for Burberry Korea.

Louis Vuitton, French luxury fashion favorite, has also entered the digital world, becoming the first to show their designs through social networking sites.

Corporate public relations manager Chong Dae-jeong said the company plans to increase Louis Vuitton’s presence online this year by releasing more corporate news and showing celebrities in their iconic clothing and accessory lines.

“It’s about our branding and interesting story-telling. We want to show that we have more than the bag, and show our core values for example, the art of travel,” she said.

For many firms, Facebook is a better option than Twitter because it is less time consuming. With Twitter, companies might hire separate staff just to monitor the up-to-the-minute tweets that continuously pour in.

BMW Korea also follows the same thought pattern by only operating a Facebook account and homepage.

“Our Facebook is a tool to communicate with our clients, so we provide information about our group, our culture, technology and new models,” said Shin Eun-ji, public relations manager for BMW Korea.

Trumpf Korea uses social networking sites in a controlled manner for customers and individuals to leave observations about the products they are testing.

For chambers of commerce, some use the sites for better communication while others prefer the approach of email and regular websites.

“We thought about it and checked into it,” said Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretary General Jurgen Wohler. “We don’t subscribe to (SN) services because we have to think about our customers who would prefer to approach us for information directly.”

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea’s Seoul office also does not feel the need to utilize SNS.

“We keep our members regularly informed using the traditional tools such as emails, fax and phones,” said EUCCK Secretary General Jean-Jacques Grauhar.

Grauhar added that some of their committees do have their own Facebook or Twitter accounts to raise awareness about certain issues, such as their Intellectual Property Rights Committee which uses social networking sites to educate the public on the negative effects of counterfeit products.

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry took a different route by signing up to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Flickr, as well as having two blogs on top of its traditional website.

FKCCI’s Communication Director Clement Charles explained that the chamber wants to inform as many people about their relations with Korea while sharing information that would not regularly be transmitted through conventional media channels.

Lusk from Kwalus noted that the world of marketing and advertising has changed dramatically and that companies need to adapt to the changing times.

“If a client wants to contact a company, they will look for a Twitter account, Facebook fan page or a blog to contact them immediately and expect a quick response,” said Lusk.

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldcorp.com)