Edaily | Food and Beverage Industry Courts ‘Artsumers’ Through Cultural Marketing
In May 2017, Edaily covered the spread of 'art marketing' in the food and beverage industry targeting consumers in their 20s and 30s, introducing the case of Cafe Ogada collaborating with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung to launch a limited-edition Lunar New Year gift set and hold an exhibition and signing event at its stores. The article introduced Kim as a promising artist from Seoul National University's Oriental Painting department known for her 'Naesoong Story' series, and noted the industry's view that the collaboration was a win-win for both Kim and the Ogada brand.
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[Edaily, Reporter Choi Eun-young] 'Artsumers' — consumers who want to satisfy cultural values alongside their spending, mainly in their 20s and 30s — are on the rise. In response, food and beverage brands targeting young consumers, such as coffee and liquor companies, are investing in 'art marketing.' Consumers in their 20s and 30s, accustomed to sharing culture through social media, are precious customers that trend-sensitive food and beverage companies cannot do without.
Art marketing is a sophisticated form of emotional marketing that adds artistic elements to a brand or product, with the advantage of elevating brand image through artistic value beyond just quality and technology.
Lotte Nestlé Korea's stick coffee brand 'Nescafé Crema' drew attention with a large-scale project collaborating with well-known artists to mark the launch of its new 'Cafe Latte' and 'Caramel Macchiato' products. Last month, it launched the 'Perfect Encounter' campaign, unveiling 10 original collaborative works by photographer Nam Hyun-beom and visual artists Shin Dong-jin (GRAFFLEX), Kim Geon-ju, Circus Boy Band, Tagtraum, Yi Gong, and Hyun-ju.
It is also running a related consumer contest, the 'Perfect Latte Moment Award.' The event runs until the 14th and can be entered through Nescafé's official Facebook event page. After viewing the artist collaboration works presented by Nescafé Crema, participants post their own 'perfect latte moment' expressed through photos, illustrations, or calligraphy.
Goose Island, a craft brewery from Chicago, USA, also recently presented art collaborations with artists such as BOBNALEX and SOULSELLER at eight stores in Itaewon and Gyeongridan-gil under the theme 'Goose Meets Art.' In particular, on the 28th of last month, the 'Goose Island Artist Night' event at Namsan Chemistry, where visitors could enjoy beer-and-food pairings and meet the artists directly, drew a strong response from consumers.
This event was part of the 'Migration Week,' planned to introduce the Chicago and urban culture that inspired Goose Island. Since March, Goose Island has been running various related programs in Bundang, Itaewon, and Gangnam under the themes 'Food & Beer,' 'Art & Beer,' and 'Lifestyle & Beer' in turn.
Korean blended tea café Ogada is also drawing attention for partnering with artists that fit its brand image for various collaborations. Earlier this year, Cafe Ogada unveiled a limited-edition Lunar New Year gift set produced in collaboration with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, and held an exhibition and signing event at its stores.
Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung is a young artist and Seoul National University Oriental Painting graduate well known for her work 'Naesoong Story.' She is a rising star of the Korean art world, painting playful yet audacious contemporary genre paintings. Industry observers say this collaboration was a win-win for both Kim, who brought Korean painting to the public through social media, and the Ogada brand, which reinterpreted traditional tea beverages in a modern sensibility.
There are also cases of food and beverage brands directly participating in art events to connect with artsumers. Bohae Brewery's sparkling liquor brand 'Brother Soda' took the unusual marketing approach of directly participating in the Seoul International Art Fair held last month at COEX in Samseong-dong. Bohae Brewery ran a 'Brother Soda Brand Zone' themed on a spring picnic at the fair, drawing strong response from visitors.
In particular, the 'Cherry Blossom Soda Tree,' made using Brother Soda packaging, caught visitors' eyes as a unique photo zone. Bohae Brewery said the marketing strategy leveraged the fact that Brother Soda is a young and lively brand well suited to cultural and art events.
A Lotte Nestlé Korea official said, "Art marketing has the great advantage of drawing out emotional connection with consumers through art as a medium," adding, "We plan to keep expanding marketing activities that make use of culture and art to better convey Nescafé Crema's brand values of 'Creative, Inspiring, Connection' to consumers."