High levels of broadband technology penetration = massive generation of user-generated content = bona fide digital culture in which the consumer has succeeded in wrestling control and organisations had better engage online or become irrelevant. Or so goes the typical web 2.0 PR mantra.
Tell that to the South Koreans. On the one hand the country is the undisputed global broadband leader, with almost 90% domestic broadband penetration and 86% of South Koreans owning a mobile phone and some 51% of Koreans estimated to be creating online content. Then there’s CyWorld, with 2 in 3 South Koreans (and a staggering - if true - 96% of teens) in possession of a CyWorld ‘mini-hompy’ or homepage.
Needlesstosay, there’s plenty of innovation around using social networks and mobile phones for marketing purposes. But, with one or two high profile exceptions, a quick scan of just about any large corporate website reveals Korean companies in the digital doldrums. Once you’ve managed to avoid the ever-present CEO and corporate video extolling the glories of the company, the hunt begins for something useful, engaging or revealing. Instead you get mired in corporate-speak, platitudes and terrible translation.
Here’s a delightful example: Wherever you find [company name], you will see your beautiful dreams.
Or another: We share the same dream of finding the road to happiness and a future full of hope. [Company name] is with you every step of the way
Do people really buy this? And how does it go down in the foreign markets which many Korean companies are actively targeting. At root, the issue is one of company cultures that stifle innovation and where the smallest decisions are shunted to the top. Control is all. Going global seems to be having little effect in many instances - their communications remain formulaic, prosaic and occasionally just plain weird.
New technologies provide a real opportunity for companies to engage people, build loyalty and create evangelists through open, direct communication. Will the chaebols take the plunge?
June 26th, 2007 at 12:49 am
Interestingly, Korea’s National Election Commission recently announced that citizens (or netizens to be more exact) would no longer be allowed to post their thoughts on presidential candidates on blogs, forums, personal homepages or basically anywhere else on the web. This is pursuant to a law that was revised in 2003.
You can read more about the decision here:
https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/06/22/200706220043.asp
and the mounting controversy here:
https://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/06/25/200706250037.asp
What does this mean in the world’s most wired nation? I believe it is illustrative of the view, both in business and government circles, that the internet is, as a medium for communication, still optional and different from other communication channels.
June 30th, 2007 at 7:10 am
As Pownall pointed out, globally anounced Korean companies do those things on their global website. I agree with you.
However, I have seen companies from other nations also reveaing those ideal phrases to declare their vision, philosophies and so on. Those sweet words might look good, but it interferes delivering clear messages to audience.
That’s why BM Korea is working for the clients.
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
[...] Global Korea? Top Ten Tips My former boss, Hoh Kim, put up a lengthy post on his blog Hoh Kim’s Lab: Consiliencing Communication, which is in turn inspired by a post over at B-M’s Digital Perspective - Beautiful Dreams in Seoul. Hoh goes into a lot of detail following a long e-mail exchange, but for what it’s worth here’s my Top Ten Tips for Korean companies communicating online, in annual reports or, indeed, anywhere where an international audience might be expected to read what you wrote. [...]