Snack Brands Sell Emotion, Not Just Flavor — Character Goods Fly Off Shelves
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Korean food companies are boosting brand experience by selling character-based goods (goods) like pocket hand warmers, keyrings, and phone accessories. Orion’s ‘Cham Bungeoppang hand warmer’—modeled after its seasonal fish-shaped pastry—sold out 8,000 units on crowdfunding in four days, combining cute design with a phone-charging feature. Nongshim turned its long-running ramen character ‘Neoguri’ into cup-lid stoppers and pop-up ‘ramen shop’ experience zones in Seoul to offer tasting and photo areas. Samyang expanded IP around ‘Hochi’ from Hot Chicken flavor noodles with pop-up stores and a global YouTube following; Ottogi developed multiple mascots (‘Yellowz’) and concept stores. Firms say character goods generate direct revenue, deepen brand loyalty, and let consumers (especially MZ generation) experience brand stories beyond products—making ‘goods economy’ and emotional branding a key competitive edge.
