How to export footwear to South Korea: our successful roadmap

Have you ever thought about how to export your shoes to South Korea? Learn how we helped one of our customers to conquer this market and grow their brand awareness.

In our work of support for companies in international expansion, we have learned that each market has its unique challenges. South Korea is confirmed as a constantly growing market for Italian footwear. In 2022, Italian footwear imports have reached a value of 100 million euros, marking a remarkable increase of 15% compared to the previous year.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the footwear market in South Korea is extremely competitiveIn addition, Korean consumers are increasingly demanding about quality, design and product price.

To succeed in this market, Italian companies must adopt a strategy that differs from competition. That is why we want to introduce our successful roadmap, which allowed one of our customers to increase their brand awareness in the footwear market in South Korea.

Read on to find out how we faced this challenge and how we can help you achieve the same results.

Premises and Objectives:

Company profile:	Our customer company is an Italian manufacturer of high quality footwear. Its footwear is made of high quality materials and is characterized by an elegant and refined design. The company’s reference target is men and women aged between 25 and 45 years, with a medium-high income.
Objective:	The specific goals were: increasing brand awareness in South Korea, finding local distributors and achieving a turnover of 1 million euros in South Korea within 3 years.
Services offered:	Local Marketing Actions Naming, Color coding and Graphics Website in LanguageDatabase profilingContact center

Our strategy to export footwear to South Korea

The importance of naming and color coding study for the Korean market

In a market like South Korea, where culture and traditions are rooted, it is crucial that a company has a visual identity suitable for the local market. naming and color coding, two key elements for the perception of a brand.

In the case of our customer, we chose a name based on phonologic criteria, easy to pronounce and remember for Koreans. Color coding was designed to be in line with the corporate values and tastes of Korean consumers. The logo has been revisited in a minimalist way, with vibrant and contrasting colors that recall the vivacity of Korean culture.

Construction of a Korean website on Korean domain

Once the visual identity is established, the next phase of our roadmap has led to the creation of a Korean-speaking website on a Korean domain. This choice was fundamental to improve the brand awareness of our customer in South Korea.

A language website is essential to reach local consumers and the choice of domain.kr We have dedicated time and energy to creating a design that reflects the aesthetic preferences and the browsing habits of the local public.

Colours, images and typography were carefully chosen to create an attractive and familiar visual experience for Korean users. Moreover, we implemented an optimization strategy for local market-specific search engines, which included search for the most relevant keywords and content optimization.

Digital Marketing Strategy for Success in South Korea

In the third phase of our roadmap, we have developed a digital marketing, social media marketing and content marketing strategy aimed at improving the brand awareness of our customer in South Korea and establishing contacts with local distributors.

Localized Content on the Main Social Media Koreans

We have created content in Korean language specifically for major local social media such as Naver and KakaoTalk. This move has ensured that our message reached the right audience, using the preferred platforms by Korean consumers.

Advertising Mirata Display

To amplify our customer's visibility, we have planned targeted display advertising on Korean websites and apps. This strategy has enabled us to reach a wide audience and promote the brand effectively.

Collaborations with Local Influencer

We worked with influential figures in the Korean market, ensuring that our message was authentic and trusted by the local public. The content we created were perfectly aligned with the company’s values and Korean consumer tastes, using a simple and easily understandable language.

Database Profilment for Targeted Local Partner Identification

A key element of our expansion strategy in South Korea was database profiling. This tactic allowed us to analyze the local market in depth, identifying potential distributors and partners in a precise way.

We started with an in-depth analysis of the needs and behaviours of the Korean market, using demographic, behavioural and geographical data to refine our selection. We segmented the database to better customize our proposals and contact initiatives.

A list of highly targeted and qualified contacts that have shown genuine interest in our customer and footwear.

Implementation of an International Multilanguage Contact Center

Another key aspect was the implementation of a multilingual b2b contact center. This was the core of our contact operations with local distributors and partners.

To achieve our goals effectively, we have adopted different strategies and used various touchpoints:

1. Contacts Personalized Phones: We have used the expertise of our native speakers to make personal telephone contacts, establishing a trust and understanding their needs.
2. Custom email: We have used personalized emails, characterized by a clear and direct communication, aimed at transmitting the added value of the products offered. This allowed us to reach a wider audience and to provide detailed information on the products of the company.

Results and Next Passes

Thanks to the implementation of our strategy, we have achieved tangible results for our customer in expanding in South Korea. Our customer’s recognition has grown considerably in the market and have been identified two shoe distributors in line with business objectives.

However, despite the successes, we believe that there are still wide margins of improvement to be explored and that is why we are examining this issue.uove marketing strategies adapting to changing Korean consumer preferences remains a constant priority.