Kiturami, a renowned water heater brand, is ramping up its marketing efforts with a focus on two keywords: ‘character’ and ‘keyring.’ (Image courtesy of Kiturami)
SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – Kiturami, a renowned water heater brand, is ramping up its marketing efforts with a focus on two keywords: ‘character’ and ‘keyring,’ both of which have gained immense popularity among members of the MZ generation, which is commonly used in South Korea to refer to Millennials and Generation Z.
On Monday, Kiturami announced that it would sell Kiturami merchandise featuring its main characters, Turami and Turimi, through its Kiturami Mall. These characters embody the concept of ‘boiler doctors,’ residing inside boilers to address various issues faced by boiler users.
Last year, Kiturami unveiled Turami, a character reborn to present a more approachable persona to consumers.
This year, Kiturami plans to launch a full-fledged character marketing campaign through its newly opened online shopping mall, Kiturami Mall. There are two types of Kiturami merchandise being launched, character mugs and character acrylic keyrings.
Notably, the boiler manufacturer’s interest in keyrings stems from a fresh perspective. According to industry sources, personalizing bags with keyrings is a popular trend among the MZ generation, those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s. A variety of industries are closely following this trend.
While keyrings lost their popularity after the late 1990s and early 2000s, they have made a comeback in recent times, thanks to the rise of the ‘kidult’ trend (adults fond of things associated with children) and the Y2K style (a retro trend popular from the late 1990s to the 2000s).
Industry observers noted, “Keyrings are inexpensive, priced between 20,000 and 30,000 won, yet they are emerging as a new fashion item, allowing users to showcase their personality by attaching them to bags or mobile phones.”
In the webtoon industry, the market for goods featuring characters from webtoons, comics, and animations has grown substantially.
During the period from September 5 to 17, the total sales of the pop-up store opened by Naver Webtoon at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, set a new record among pop-up sales conducted in the grand hall of the department store. This surge is attributed to the rise of ‘kidults’ who spare no expense for their fan activities.
At the first pop-up event by Naver Webtoon held at COEX Mall in Gangnam, Seoul in June, the maximum per capita customer payment was 1.16 million won, and for the second pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul, it was 1.06 million won.
Customers tend to purchase multiple items in a single visit. Even when buying one type of item, they often purchase several at once.
As sales of character-based goods are receiving a positive market response, the trend is expected to expand. Not only retail platforms but also webtoon producers and specific product manufacturers are expected to enhance their marketing efforts through pop-up stores.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
