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COBRA TWIST : The Top-10 consumer trends in Korea in 2013
\"Be the first to catch Korea's latest consumer trend\"
2008년부터 해마다 다음 년도 한국 소비자들의 움직임과 다양한 사회적인 경향?을 예측해온 트렌드 코리아가 발간 5년째를 맞이하여 영문판을 출간했다. 이로써, 과학적이고 체계적인 분석을 동원하면서도 대중적으로 친근한 방식으로 트렌드 소통의 문을 연 《트렌드 코리아》는 이제 한국을 넘어 세계로 나갈 채비를 마쳤다. 최근 폭발적인 ...
COBRA TWIST : The Top-10 consumer trends in Korea in 2013
\"Be the first to catch Korea's latest consumer trend\"
2008년부터 해마다 다음 년도 한국 소비자들의 움직임과 다양한 사회적인 경향을 예측해온 트렌드 코리아가 발간 5년째를 맞이하여 영문판을 출간했다. 이로써, 과학적이고 체계적인 분석을 동원하면서도 대중적으로 친근한 방식으로 트렌드 소통의 문을 연 《트렌드 코리아》는 이제 한국을 넘어 세계로 나갈 채비를 마쳤다. 최근 폭발적인 관심을 불러일으킨 K-팝과 드라마의 열풍에 힘입어 한국에 대한 세계적인 관심이 증폭한 가운데, 서울대 소비트렌드분석센터를 이끌고 있는 김난도 교수는 이 책이 한국 트렌드를 궁금해 하는 외국인(비즈니스맨과 투자자, 그리고 일반인을 통틀어)들에게 적절한 정보를 제공해줄 것이라고 말한다. 세계 어디에도 없는 다이내믹한 시장. 한국이라는 나라와 거기 사는 소비자들의 다채롭고도 역동적인 움직임을 담은 트렌드 코리아에 세계의 이목이 쏠리고 있다.

I have often been asked to elaborate in English about Korea’'s consumption trends by foreign entrepreneurs practicing their business in Korea and business people doing business in other Asian regions – including China, Thailand and Vietnam – which a few years later show a similar market pattern to the Korean trends. So I have long had in mind the need to publish an English edition of this Korea Trends series. Yet, swamped with lectures, writing and consulting, I didn't dare to publish the same book in English, but rather kept it on my wish list. So this year, I am very glad to get an English edition published through the help of a professional translator. I hope this translation reasonably conveys the cultural aspects of varied Korean consumption trends.
This book is designed for all readers wanting to know more about Korean consumers and the Korean market. The global community is becoming increasingly interconnected via the Internet and mobile devices, while at the same time we live in very complicated times in which the consumer market is influenced by the national characteristics of each country. Although global trends appear simultaneously in many different countries, in some countries these trends may not hold much clout. Despite Korea being globalized, the Korean consumer market should not be understood simply as an extension of global trends. Moreover, from the point of view that Korean trends – such as K-pop – are pervading the globe, it can give one a good understanding of how Korean consumer trends may offer an indirect route on any quest to understand other countries’' consumers. I hope readers will find this book helpful for navigating Korean trends, and indeed grasping the trends of other nations’' consumers and markets. P8~9


The center of the typhoon, the 1990s’' craze, is tvN drama Reply, 1997. With a backdrop of Busan in the 1990s when it was dichotomized by the music groups H.O.T. and Sechs Kies, this sentimental retro drama portrays six characterful high school girls and boys. Breaking 5% viewership, considered a "super success viewership rate” among cable channels, it created a newly popular word, "Reply-sick” which means the provocation of strong sentimental attachment to the drama. It used three key themes – reminiscence, nostalgia and retro – as subject matter and unfolded stories from diverse angles. As a result, the drama Reply, 1997 attained popularity and compathy from a broad range of age groups.
Reply, 1997 exactly reproduced 1990s’ fashion, props, episodes, background music, etc. which were deceptively great and perfect. Thanks to the drama’'s popularity, on-line sales for 1990s-recalling retro items increased drastically. On the Auction (www.auction.co.kr), the sales of the drama props – game machines, cartoon books and fashion items – surged up to 45%, to date. Much attention was paid to "Eastpak” and "JanSport” backpacks that were used by the drama characters. P50~51


The 2012 pop culture industry was evidently swamped with those prevalent minors fortified with such B-class cultural sentiment. One of the most extreme cases is Gangnam Style by Psy, who has suddenly emerged as an international star. Despite his definitely minor features in light of appearance, choreography, costume and songs, upon going public via YouTube with a diverse parody of productions, his music videos easily broke 100 million Internet hits, unprecedented for Korean content, and he continues to break records. Psy was invited by the globally esteemed MTV video music awards, and was asked to make an appearance for one of the top American TV programs covering the households of Americans and provoking "Psy fever” around the globe.
His incredible success has still been dissected in diverse analyses, but one clear thing is that the global music market, too, is going through a “minorism” trend. P57~58


A conventional theory works the way in which the ensured management of existing customers costs less than attracting new customers and also guarantees consistent profits, therefore it is essential to maintain intimate space with the existing customers. The flip side would be that hysterical, edgy customers rather pay less attention to a company attempting to keep intimate space and they step backward to create more space, even thinking “it’'s uncomfortable to be remembered by the company.” In other words, it is time for customer-bustling places including traditional-style marketplaces and big-box retailers to begin considering appropriate space layout. P103


Then, what does the trend implicate for corporations? We suggest three key issues as follows.
Firstly, bear in mind that an increase in hysterical individuals may pose a much greater risk to corporations than expected. For example, if not conquering shoppers at "the zero moment of truth," corporations may fail to get the consumers’ attention, caught in malicious rumors even before their newly-developed products and services are properly reviewed. If not keeping abreast with a mechanism of forming public opinions through on-line and social media, they might get caught in baseless rumors and end up losing their elaborately manicured image in an instant. Hence, it is necessary to undergo the sharing of the seriousness of any circumstance via internal communication and reach agreement on a response. P110~111


N generation moms do not have a sense of guilt over consumption. Different from the older generation that experienced a poor childhood, they have tasted the benefit of material civilization and have developed consumption as a habit from a young age. They can’t give up consumption for themselves, children and family. Even though they spend money on their children, they do not reduce their personal spending for the sake of their children. They spend significantly on cultural events and leisure activities shared with their children. If necessary, they are also ready to spend a large sum of money for private education. They are the very N generation mothers, Scandi-moms. P129


For past generations it stands to reason that if they have no money, then tightening their belts and not spending is virtuous. On the other hand, the most recent young generation takes a slightly different stance: “anyway, there is no end to the stubbornly lasting recession, and the complete refraining from spending is not smart, so let’s enjoy the moment.” Since they underscore the present enjoyment in the use, not the future value, rental is seen as a sensible alternative that can bring the same pleasure as much as ownership, and is gaining popularity. P146


The Republic of Korea is sleepless. Youths, students, corporations –. everyone lives in a society in which burning the midnight oil is basic. Exhausted with whatever is superfluous, people burn themselves out in order to alleviate mental tension so that they are numbed with or immune to tension. Afflicted by a tight financial circumstance without hope of escape the prevalence of spontaneous, present-oriented attitude is observed. Until everything comes to an end, they do not feel content and unleashed their vigor. In 2013 Korea shall be captivated with a yearning for exhaustion. P169


Since large-scale music festivals are held intensively in summer, they provide fun with water play in the daytime and boozy fun at night. Attracted by these features, they are experienced as burnout shows amongst the youth. They are about enjoying and unleashing energy until utter exhaustion. Further events include the Summer Wave Festival held at Caribbean Bay in Samsung Everland’s waterpark and the seashore Green Groove Festival, followed by the White Dance Music Festival hosted by Heineken, unprecedented in Asia. With regard to the White Dance Music Festival, it unfolded with stage shows, acrobatic performances, laser shows, fireworks over eight hours, with 3,000 early bird tickets at 99,000 won apiece which were sold out in one day. With the Jarasum Festival themed with acoustic sounds, 500 early bird tickets were sold amazingly in 90 seconds. P174



The fixed conception that shopping is a weekend or evening activity has been changing. Urbanites fond of mall life transcending time and space resolve all their needs, including clothing, food and shelter, at a grand-scale space looking like a futuristic dome city. A shopping center mall equipped with an extensive range of facilities including department stores, movie theaters, hotels and bookstores, offers a concurrent cornucopia of shopping and entertainment. Times Square in Youngdungpo area had a head start in opening this type of model three years ago, followed by D Cube City in Shindorim-dong last year and lately IFC mall in Youido. The advantage of mall life is that when no plans have been made and when the inclination prompts, all the things you need can be fulfilled with one visit. In their pleasant interiors the enjoyment of mall life is always available, thus the concept of season becomes null. Upon entering, a sense of time also becomes meaningless. P187~188


Likewise the relationship with the opposite sex, as push and pull dynamics is important, consumers have started feeling tired of mollycoddling companies behaving like a romantic man. Until now companies have focused on “eliminating” consumer inconvenience, but now they have to pay more attention to “adding” to it. Here, appropriate “inconvenience” specifies offering consumers the best chance to engage, sometimes by letting them wait, other times letting them feel inadequate or sometimes feigning indifference. P196


A dramatic urbanization in the past steered Korea toward the nuclear family, and we have experienced the division of kinship groups based on blood. Accordingly, not necessarily blood kinship, but repeatedly reorganized families emerged as an alternative. This subsequently forced family members to confront serious individualization. Since the alternative family is formed on the basis of practicality, not a sense of kinship, the bondage amongst the members is less strong. This aspect resulted in deepening individual alienation and loneliness. This inflated individualism and decentralized blood-based family trend accelerated the prevalence of lounging in search of self-reliance and personal time. P216~217


Selective spending patterns of single people and the lounging trend of pursuing one’'s own personal comfort have been expressed through daring spending on digital devices. Ranging from tablet PCs and laptops to beam projectors, the items and prices vary. In particular, the rapid growth of the costly headphone market is conspicuous. Until two years ago the premium headphone products took 1% of the market, but currently reach 30%, a dramatic surge. In combination with the need for high-quality, enriched sound and an exterior edgy fashionable design, premium headphones became apparent as the definitive personal lounging item. P220

In the category of sense of taste, a massive number of ordinary consumers can afford to follow the upper class lifestyles and consumption mode. In other words, the one thing that is lower-priced than other items but offers a higher level of luxury is food. Therefore, at every income level, consumers find solace by indulging in luxury foods and dining-out in utmost extravagance. This is called “small luxury” or “a modicum of extravagance.” In the dining-out and foods category, “small luxury” specifies consumption behavior to enjoy the top-range of food for just tens of thousands of won, while not doing the same for other luxuries, such as high-end brand clothes, bags and automobiles. Such a phenomenon is called “rocketing consumption” in the retailer industry. P232

목차
Part 1. 2012 in Retrospect
Deliver authenticity 17
Rawganic fever 27
Attention, please! 34
Give’'em personalities 41
Over the generation 49
Neo-minorism 56
Blank space for my life 63
All by myself society 72
Let me choose plan B 81
Lessen your risk 91
Part 2. 2013 Trends Outlook
City of hysteria 99
OTL…… nonsense! 113
Bravo, Scandi-mom! 125
Redefined ownership 139
Arrival of detox fever 157
Tiding over burnout society 169
Whenever U want ?- the absence of seasons 182
Inconvenience is welcomed 196
Solitary lounging 210
Taste, the ascent thereof 223
Coauthors 236
2007~2012 Keywords Table 237
Index 238