Influential K-Culture: Enhancing Korea’s National Image and Cultivating Global Consumers’ Acceptance

Written by Yoo-Won Olivia Min & B. Ellie Jin

Cultural Shift: From the West to the East

Culture holds tremendous influence, capable of significantly influencing other countries. Traditionally, popular culture predominantly flowed from the West to the East. However, there is a notable reversal of this with Eastern culture, particularly from South Korea (from now on Korea), now taking center stage. This shift is evident in the global popularity of K-pop, K-dramas, and K-beauty, showcasing Korean cultural leadership. Since “Gangnam Style” topped the Billboard charts in 2012, Korean music, movies, and TV shows like “Parasite” and “Squid Game” have gained international acclaim, winning Oscars and Golden Globes (Jin, 2024).

The Role of the Korean Wave and the Prototypical Brand and in Shaping the Korea’s Country Image

To what extent does a country’s image influence its products? And what factors contribute to shaping the image of a country? Jin et al. (2019) empirically confirmed that in the case of Korea, prototypical brands (e.g.,Samsung and Hyundai) and cultural elements (i.e, Korean wave) play a pivotal role in forming the country’s image. This, in turn, significantly enhanced global consumers’ evaluation and purchase intention toward Korean products. The research findings underscore that prototypical brands wielded a more substantial influence than the Korean wave in creating Korea’s image. However, the effect of these factors varies across product categories. The Korean Wave significantly affected the quality evaluation of cosmetics but not tires. These findings validated that the image of a country can significantly influence evaluations of products from the country, highlighting the intricate interplay between national image and product perception in the global marketplace.

K-Wave’s Influence on Luxury Branding

The influence of the Korean Wave is notably significant in luxury brands. For instance, Blackpink, a renowned Korean girl group, has significantly influenced the luxury brand sector, with each member serving as an ambassador for high-end labels: Jisoo for Dior and Cartier, Jennie for Chanel, Rosé for Tiffany & Co. and Saint Laurent, and Lisa for Celine (Jin, 2024; Schneider, 2023). A standout example is Tiffany & Co.’s “ROSÉ x Tiffany HardWear” collection, which not only aligns Rosé’s K-pop star power with luxury design but also pays tribute to her style and persona, underlining the impactful collaboration between K-pop artists and luxury brands.

Another example of Korea’s cultural influence includes BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, a group consisting of seven members. As with the Blackpink, each member of BTS serves as ambassadors for luxury brands: RM for Bottega Veneta, J-Hope for Louis Vuitton, Jimin for Dior and Tiffany & Co, V for Celine and Cartier, Suga for Valentino and NBA, and Jung Kook for Calvin Klein Jeans. Similar to Tiffany & Co’s ROSÉ x Tiffany Hardwear collection, Puma offers Puma X BTS Basket Patent Shoes in 2018 and FILA introduced ‘Project 7,’ a collection featuring BTS that includes apparel, accessories, and footwear in 2020. Moreover, BTS has actively participated in social causes, delivering a speech at the UN and initiating an anti-violence campaign with UNICEF, both in 2021.

Cultural strategy in elevating a country’s image and achieving global consumer acceptance

As demonstrated above, a country’s prototypical brands and cultural influence not only mold the image of the country but also exert a significant influence on the evaluation of products originating from the country. Also the K-cultural leadership is notably influential in shaping consumer behavior and influencing marketing strategies (Janssen et al., 2022).  In light of this, fashion brands should acknowledge the substantial influence of K-culture in their marketing strategies, potentially considering options such as a dedicated “K-corners” featuring unique Korean products or targeted advertisements. The convergence of K-culture with fashion and lifestyle sectors highlights the critical role of cultural synergy in elevating Korea’s country image and garnering global consumer acceptance.

Reference

Janssen, L., Schouten, A. P., & Croes, E. A. (2022). Influencer advertising on Instagram:       product-influencer fit and number of followers affect advertising outcomes and influencer evaluations via credibility and identification. International journal of advertising, 41(1), 101-127.

Jin, B. (2024). Global Fashion Business: International Retailing, Marketing and Merchandising. Bloomsbury Academic.

Jin, B., Yang, H., & Kim, N. (2019). Prototypical brands and cultural influences: Enhancing a country’s image via the marketing of its products. Management Decision, 57(11), 3159-3176.

Khan, A. I. (2020, December 2). BTS’s Project 7 FILA Capsule Collection Arrives in the US. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bts-project-7-fila-capsule-collection

Kwon, I. H. (2019). Globalizing the MEDIHEAL brand: L&P cosmetics’s collaboration with BTS. Asia Marketing Journal, 21(2), 51-71.

Puma [Puma]. (2018, August 31). PUMA BASKET. MADE BY BTS & YOU [Image]. Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BnI1uMLl6U6/

Schneider, I. (2023). English’s expanding linguistic foothold in K-pop lyrics: A mixed methods approach. English Today, 1-8.

Tiffany & Co. (n.d.). ROSÉ x Tiffany HardWear. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://www.tiffany.com/stories/guide/rose-x-tiffany-hardwear/