Financial Today | Woori Card’s ‘Card Jeongseok’ Sets Industry’s Fastest Pace, Surpassing 3 Million
Financial Today reported that Woori Card's flagship “Card Jeongseok” series surpassed 3 million cards issued in less than a year since launch, setting an industry-fastest record. CEO Jung Won-jae's management approach and design using Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung's artwork were introduced as keys to the card's success, along with the launch of a new product, “Card Jeongseok WOWRI,” and a customer-appreciation event.
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Woori Card announced on the 29th that its flagship “Card Jeongseok” series has surpassed 3 million cards issued in less than a year since launch.
After passing 2 million cards issued in December, eight and a half months after the launch of its first product, “Card Jeongseok POINT,” last April — a pace that surprised the market — it has now surpassed 3 million this month, in under a year, an industry record for the fastest time for a single product series.
The success of Card Jeongseok can be attributed to how thoroughly the “customer-centered mindset” and “attention to detail” consistently emphasized by CEO Jung Won-jae, who leads the company, are woven into both the product and the brand.
Using big-data analysis and consumer research, the series eliminated factors that made cardholders' lives inconvenient. Moving away from competing on the sheer number of services offered, it built in simple yet solid discount and accumulation benefits as a foundation, and reflected shifting payment trends by offering additional benefits for simple-payment service use, enhancing usability and making benefits easy to feel.
Design also received careful attention. The series borrows from the work of Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, catching the eye with a sensibility-driven design imbued with Korean beauty.
A notch shaped like the Korean consonant ‘ㄱ’ was added to the upper right of the plate to improve usability, and details such as varying the coloring on part of the surface and arranging the product name vertically were carefully refined, elevating the overall finish to “work of art” quality. These efforts led to a design patent obtained last October, once again proving the quality of the design.
Marketing and branding also saw fresh approaches distinct from the past. A design-collaboration exhibition with artist Kim Hyun Jung held last April provided an opportunity to introduce the new products, and the company produced advertisements using an “artvertising” technique that made use of her work, showcasing differentiated communication.
Late last year, the company also unveiled a web drama, “Work & Love Balance,” which has since gone viral, racking up more than 3.7 million cumulative views to date, contributing to raising the brand value of “Card Jeongseok.”
This March, Woori Card rounded out its life-stage product lineup by adding Card Jeongseok Premium, targeted at customers 40 and older, to its check-card lineup spanning Cream (teens), Cookie (20s), and SoSam (30s-40s). By placing the industry-leading point- and discount-based Card Jeongseok series alongside these age-specific products, forming a three-dimensional lineup rather than a single track, the company broadened customer choice.
This is expected to let customers easily choose products suited to their lifestyle and spending habits, while enjoying more convenient and greater benefits, and to enable consultation alongside various life-stage financial products sold at Woori Bank, creating synergy across group affiliates and keeping the momentum going.
To mark the first anniversary of Card Jeongseok's launch and its 3-million milestone, Woori Card will launch a new product, “Card Jeongseok WOWRI,” on the 1st of next month. The name combines “wow,” expressing surprise at achieving the fastest-ever 3-million mark for a single product series, with “Woori,” giving the product its name, “Card Jeongseok WOWRI.”
The card's core benefits are the same as those of “Card Jeongseok POINT,” which specializes in point accumulation: an industry-leading 0.8% back on spending at all merchants, and 5.0% to 1.0% back for categories customers frequently use. Compared to previously launched products, it also strengthens accumulation benefits for duty-free purchases.
The card's design is also bold. Based on a design by Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, it uses basic geometric elements layered with the vivid colors of obangsaek (Korea's traditional five cardinal colors), expressing the harmony of yin, yang and the five elements to achieve a distinctive aesthetic unlike existing products.
To mark the 3-million milestone and thank customers for their support, Woori Card is also preparing a customer-appreciation event. Throughout next month, all Woori Card users will receive one sweepstakes entry for every 100,000 won spent, and through a drawing, a total of 300 winners will receive prizes including a 3-million-won travel voucher (1 winner), Samsung foldable phones (3 winners), BALMUDA The Pure air purifiers (15 winners), and 10,000 Woori Card points (281 winners).
A Woori Card representative said, “This meaningful achievement is thanks to the customers who have loved 'Card Jeongseok,' as well as our staff at Woori Bank and in the field. Going forward, we will keep thinking about how to deliver customized services tailored to customer needs, while continuing to build sophisticated, youthful branding.”