SEOUL, KOREA - The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, is spreading throughout the entire globe, creating a new global appreciation of Korean culture. However, the phenomenon is not limited exclusively to K-culture, encompassing K-Pop stars such as global sensation Psy or idol groups. It is now evident that Korea is being recognized for its food as well as burgeoning pop icons.
In Myeongdong, one of the most popular fashion districts in Korea, people speaking Japanese or Chinese can be easily spotted buying seasoned Korean laver in bulk to bring back to their home countries.
These days, Korean food can be easily found in foreign markets as well, as more Korean agricultural and food industries are advancing to international markets with their own high quality products.
For example, these days Korean strawberries, often called the “Queen of Vitamin” are becoming increasingly popular in Thailand. It is one of the most sought-after fruits that can be enjoyed for various uses including sherbet, ice cream, shake, cake, and jam. Strawberries grown in the Southern region of Korea are enjoying particularly high sales in overseas markets now.
CHANG-RAK FARMS, a leading agricultural-products exporting company, has successfully reached global customers with its high-quality strawberries and has found prominence in many food sections at markets in Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand.
The company produces strawberries that boast a soft and sweet taste and are rich in vitamins. It kicked off exporting its fresh strawberries to Thailand starting in 2008 and earned around USD 90,000 in its inaugural year.
The first challenge the company faced was finding a way to appeal to potential customers Thailand despite relatively expensive products compared to produce grown locally as a result of additional tariffs.
Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, also known as aT, was responsible for efforts designed to make CHANG-RAK FARMS more reachable to local customers by supporting opportunities for the company to meet potential buyers which could pave the way to increased regional sales.
aT is a government-affiliated organization that has contributed to backing overseas expansion of Korean agriculture and food. The organization is currently operating overseas centers in seven countries including Japan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, the U.S.A, and Netherlands, and serving as a pillar for many Korean companies’ successful advancement into the overseas markets.
The first step aT took in promoting fresh, high quality strawberries produced by CHANG-RAK FARMS was to find ideal purchasers. aT chose Central Food Retail (CFR), one of Thailand’s biggest food retailers, as the first exporting target. This worked out to be a highly effective way of promoting products to local customers because of CFR’s extensive customer base.
Korean food-themed fair Buy Korean Food held in 2009 also played a crucial role in determining foreign buyers as well. At the fair, there were chances for potential buyers to taste CHANG-RAK FARMS’ sweet strawberries and get a better understanding of how the strawberries are produced and what procedures they undergo in order to become imported to local markets. In December 2009, the buyers with which CHANG-RAK FARMS had built a business partnership with at the fair began bringing strawberries to their market places for test-marketing. This eventually allowed CHANG-RAK FARMS’ to achieve their ultimate goal in 2011.
Taste of Korea 2012, a sales promotion event that took place from July 25 to August 21, 2012, offered another opportunity to promote CHANG-RAK FARMS’s products and boost their sales. The event was held in a variety of venues including four sections of Central Food Hall and 26 branches of Tops Market Place, where a variety of Korean-made goods including strawberries received rave reviews from foreign customers.
Sponsored by aT, which has funded the promotional efforts and linked the company to regional companies in Thailand, CHANG-RAK FARMS has also been holding promotional events independently at local markets throughout the nation on a regular basis.
Public advertisements proved to be another effective method of promoting its products. CHANG-RAK FARMS utilized the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), the most popular transportation system in Bangkok with over 800,000 users per day, by attaching specially designed advertising stickers with an appealing image and catchphrase on the train itself. The goal behind this strategy was to heighten public exposure to the freshness and excellence of its products.
As a result of all these efforts, CHANG-RAK FARMS has seen its export sales double in just two years, from USD 452,000 in 2011 to USD 800,000 in 2012.
“CHANG-RAK FARMS has 43 cold storage houses of its own in Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), which distinguishes it from other Korean agricultural trading companies,” said Na Young-ho, president of CHANG-RAK FARMS.
“Since we are able to keep our products in top quality form with the help of the newest cold storage system, more foreign buyers appreciate our products and increase the amount they order,” he added.
Established in 1987, CHANG-RAK FARMS, has been trading with many other Asian nations such as Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and more, and is constantly expanding its business realm.
A series of K-food articles are provided in partnership with Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT)
