Invest KOREA

-113 buyers across mainland China met with 128 Korean SMEs
-“Online trade shows targeting ASEAN members, CIS and Japan will take place in May and June”

Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA: President and CEO, Pyung-Oh, Kwon) opened an exhibition in China, an online showcase where high-quality, best Korean products were introduced on Apr.27. Nearly 113 buyers across mainland China have taken part in this three day event to meet with 128 small sized enterprises in Korea.

KOTRA's overseas offices have been working on hosting the large scale marketing and trade shows online, through which potential buyers and business partners can browse Korean products and services amid severe impacts of coronavirus on global trade for months.

Fortunately, its unique merchandise selection and marketing methods have been spotlighted. First, KOTRA handpicks products that are much in demand, such as foods, beauty products, baby products, daily necessities and healthcare products, among five best-selling consumer goods in China. Running online video ads showing the products selected via buykorea.org, then, the agency helps open virtual meetings to match business partners worldwide. As part of longer term plans, KOTRA unveiled the next step in marketing strategy, making full use of digital messengers, Wanghong. (Wanghong translates to online celebrities in Chinese. The term describes social network influencers who get their fans to purchase goods that they’ve endorsed)

A local buyer, J, who attended the event in Beijing said, “The online browsing service to take a quick look at the products was pretty good. I’d like to see and get more information on Korean products as most people are increasingly turning to online shopping to get groceries in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.”

Collecting on-site customer feedback, KOTRA said it’ll push for the viral marketing even after the end of the events to grasp an opportunity with the rise of the Wanghong economy in China.

An official  said, “We’re looking for more chances for non-contact marketing activities since the outbreak of the COVID-19. The agency plans to host the same type of online trade shows targeting ASEAN members, CIS and Japan in May and June.”

Source : KOTRA (2020.05.04)