2011年7月26日星期二

Korea-Pop Fever Lures Japan purchasers to Samsung Smartphones, LG Washers

Yuko Ishii, a 53-year-old factory worker in middle Japan, employed to really feel reluctant about getting products and companies set up in neighboring South Korea. That altered perfect after she grew to be a lover of pop stars for example boy strap TVXQ.

“I employed to rule out Korean products, but now I have no problems with them,” stated Ishii, whose buys consist of the washer set up by LG Electronics Inc. “If my favored star was marketing a South Korean TV, I would undoubtedly purchase it. I need to really feel closer to them by getting exactly the exact same products and companies they use.”

Ishii jointly with other fans of so-called K-pop may maybe help Korean electronics makers expand inside the world’s third-largest economy, precisely where purchasers have traditionally favored domestic brands. last month, Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S II smartphone was the best-selling cell cell phone in Japan, in accordance with evaluation institution BCN Inc. That assisted South Korean exports in the direction of the united states bounce fifty % inside the earliest 6 weeks of 2011.

“The Korean boom is typically a tailwind for made-in-Korea products,” stated Hidetomi Tanaka, an economics professor at Jobu college in Isesaki, Japan. commencing with middle-aged ladies who watched Korean washing soap operas on TV, it has grown to consist of youthful grownup males and ladies hearing to K-pop, Tanaka said.

Samsung, the world’s second-largest cell cell phone maker, and LG are operating to obtain a foothold in Japan perfect after the two firms previously scaled back again their ambitions inside the country.

Galaxy Smartphone
“Most of Samsung’s potential customers in Japan are youthful grownup males and ladies within their 20s and 30s,” stated James Chung, a spokesman for Samsung in Seoul. “Their attention in Korean stars appears to acquire reflected within their buys of our products.”

Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung halted advertising electronics by employing retail store channels in Japan in 2007, narrowing its distribution to company customers for example NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s top mobile-phone carrier.

Last month, the Galaxy S II, which was introduced in Japan on June 23, outsold Apple Inc.’s iPhone 4 and Sharp Corp.’s Aquos to declare the regional No. one product sales ranking.

Samsung tied with Panasonic Corp., Japan’s top residence appliance maker, since the third-biggest handset vendor in Japan with an 11 % marketplace reveal inside the quarter ended March 31, in accordance with approach Analytics. No South Korean maker experienced previously graded higher than sixth, the Boston-based evaluation institution estimated.

‘Difficult Market’
LG resumed television set product sales in Japan in November perfect after a two-year absence. The Seoul-based institution now aims to acquire a 5 % reveal of shipment volumes within of 5 years, stated Kyuhong Lee, president of LG’s Japan unit.

“Japan is typically a an exceptional offer more difficult marketplace than anyplace else merely as a carry out result of large purchaser demands,” Lee stated at a Tokyo press conference in June. “There are undoubtedly potential customers right here who recognize the good quality of our products, along using the total amount is growing.”

South Korean exports to Japan jumped fifty % to $17.75 billion inside the earliest 6 weeks this year, according in the direction of the Ministry of information monetary system in Seoul. The progress pace accelerated from the 31 % expansion a twelve weeks earlier.

South Korean actors seized the thing to consider of middle-aged Japanese housewives in 2003 when neighborhood broadcaster NHK aired a drama sequence titled “Winter Sonata,” a washing soap opera starring Bae youthful Joon, identified in Japan by his nickname Yon-sama.

Live tasks by pop stars for example Girls’ technology may maybe help broaden the appeal of Korean method of life in Japan as inside the sleep from the region, stated Kazuko Takatsuki, a director at Hakuhodo Inc., Japan’s second-largest marketing company.

LG ads
LG hired KARA, a female Korean dance and audio tracks group, to appear in ads in Japan for its Optimus smartphones. The set topped Japan’s weekly digital video disc product sales in February, in accordance with Oricon Inc. Only 5 other overseas designers have achieved so previously, such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Michael Jackson.

“We hired KARA merely because they are standard among youthful women, whom we are targeting,” stated Donggun Kim, basic manager at LG’s Japan unit.

The Korean companies have however to acquire much more than some Japanese customers. within a questionnaire in November, 52 % of purchasers inside the united states stated they regarded Korean products and companies “cheap,” even although 25 % stated they do not have confidence in the good quality from the goods, in accordance with Tokyo-based My Voice Communications Inc.

‘Room to Grow’
The Japanese marketplace persists to be challenging for overseas manufacturers, Samsung’s Chung said. The institution nonetheless has no approach to market televisions inside the country.

“Japan’s distribution channels favor Japanese brands, plus they possess a framework that is difficult for overseas firms to break into,” Chung said.

Still, the achievement from the Galaxy S II is boosting Samsung’s producer image, stated Michito Kimura, a senior analyst in Tokyo at evaluation institution IDC.

“Samsung is typically a producer inside the Japanese marketplace using the strongest progress momentum,” Kimura said. “Samsung features a space to grow, specifically with youthful consumers.”

LG laptop battery
Samsung laptop battery
Apple laptop battery

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