By Li Zhenran, researcher of Chinese and foreign film and television cooperation and special commentator with Panview
The "Korean wave" is a popular cultural product brand promoted by the South Korean government and enterprises. In pursuit of export-oriented industrial development, Seoul is determined to sell its "Korean wave" brand and related products worldwide.
Korean brands have become more popular and are undergoing a structural transformation from selling traditional industrial products, such as Samsung devices, modern shipbuilding and automobiles to cultural products.
Expectations are that the export value of Korean cultural products would account for a quarter of its gross domestic product by 2020.
Enter China "from point to surface"
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), South Korea had signed cooperation programs with China by the end of 2015, to boost popular Korean brands via the Cultural Content Industry Office of the MCST and China's Chongqing Cultural Industry Investment Group Co., Ltd, and another project between South Korean Arirang TV and The Radio and Television Group of Chongqing.
The horn of Korean wave marching into central and western China has touted an innovative 2016 branding strategy.
In fact, China's blueprint of western development and the "Belt & Road" initiative are linked together. South Korea believes that taking over the market in central and western China has weighed as much as stepping into dozens of developing countries.
The branding experience in municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou has given them confidence with China's market, ushering in brand loyalty from a large number of customers.
Penetrate Asia "from lines to surface"
South Korea considers, apart from China, Japan and Indonesia, a country with the fourth biggest population in the world, as another mature market for the Korean wave.
After 2012, Korean popular brands were losing ground in the Japanese market, which could have been influenced by political variants. Yet, with the improvements of bilateral relations South Korea is eager to regenerate its wave in Japan.
A cultural industry forum between South Korea, Japan and China will be held in 2016, to demonstrate their successful brands and marketing activities in China and to win over the Japanese market.
This is a clever move that benefits both sides. By promoting the sales performance of Korean brands in Japan, it can expand its Chinese fans as well.
Embrace the world "from surface to globe"
South Korea has made branding its popular products to global visitors as one of its key national strategies. They have been working hard to realize the aim at all levels and possible places nationwide.
Seoul would sponsor Korean popular brands experience activities at places visited most by foreign tourists such as duty-free shops, television stations, shooting locations, Myeong-dong, Dongdaemum and other places of interest in Seoul.
The experience content is trimmed meticulously for tourists to provide a natural, pertinent, friendly, and effective feel of popular Korean brands.
The opening of Korean TV plays shooting sites and broadcasting stations to foreign guests stands as a good case in point, where Hollywood visitors can see the making process, props, editing, and video recordings of a program.
The South Korean government is faithful to its cause, by developing the people’s creation works. The success of Korean popular culture branding implies a populist and creative developing approach backed up by the government and adapted to specific conditions.
China can learn from that to promote its own cultural products, including movies and TV plays and introduce them to the world.
( The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )
Panview offers an alternative angle on China and the rest of the world through the analyses and opinions of experts. We also welcome outside submissions, so feel free to send in your own editorials to "globalopinion@vip.cntv.cn" for consideration.
