Trusted by global brands
In Korea and beyond
Korean success stories.
Unified executive narratives across Asia Pacific
We developed Lenovo's global thought leadership series that outperformed LinkedIn benchmarks across Asia Pacific and beyond.
Launching a new brand in Korea
We supported market entry and brand positioning for a new sub-brand one of the world's largest hotel companies within the Korean market.
Quality demand generation for enterprise SaaS
Strategic positioning and performance marketing that targets Korean enterprise decision-makers through Programmatic, Naver and LinkedIn.
Building market momentum for global platforms
Launch strategy and execution for international technology brands entering the competitive Korean market.
Korean market expansion for global platforms
Go-to-market strategy and execution for international brands entering the Korean market for the first time.
Six disciplines.One ecosystem.
Strategy & Advisory.
Bespoke market strategy shaped by category, audience, and competitive read in Korea.
Performance & UX.
Paid media, SEO, conversion, and on-site experience tuned to Korean intent and platform mix: Naver, KakaoTalk, Meta, YouTube, programmatic, and beyond.
Social & Community.
Narratives that resonate with Korean audiences across KakaoTalk, Naver, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Storytelling & Content.
Editorial, brand films, and long-form content built around real craft: Korean voices, native writers, original ideas.
AI & Tech.
Generative AI integrated with human craft: production at speed, judgment from people who actually know the Korean market.
Fractional Talent.
Embedded marketers, creators, and producers who plug into your team. Senior craft, on-demand, in-market.
Insights into Korean culture.
Marketing your brand to Korean consumers
South Korea is the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 12th largest in the world. It is an often overlooked but sizeable market with a GPD of over 1.7 trillion USD. After a long period of economic growth, it has become one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Koreans are some of the most digitally savvy consumers in the world, with a strong focus on innovation. Although South Korea has been more influenced by Western Markets than neighboring Japan and China, English is not widely spoken. It's therefore very important for international brands to localize their content and strategy. Whilst Koreans use the leading global platforms for social networking, search, and E-Commerce, they have a number of unique local platforms too.
Korea is one of only a few countries where Google is not the dominant search engine. Naver is the most popular search engine therefore incorporating Naver into your search strategy is critical for success, and at the same time considering to leverage its E-Commerce and social networking capabilities.
Kindred are perfectly positioned to help your brand to achieve growth within the Korean market.
Proven success across APAC.
We partner with global brands to build momentum, relevance, and measurable growth across Asia Pacific. Our work spans consumer tech, travel, retail, entertainment, and enterprise, tailored to the distinct standards and preferences each market demands.
Brands don't just launch with Kindred. They thrive.
Why global brands choose Kindred for APAC.
Kindred operates as a single regional operating system with clear strategic accountability. Our APAC Hub defines the roadmap, while local 'spokes' tailor execution to individual markets.
You gain the scale of a global network with the cultural precision and agility of a boutique consultancy.
One partner for APAC.
No more juggling agencies, countries, and timelines. One contract, one team, every market.
Fluency in each market.
We understand the local cultural nuances: language, tone, decision-making, and ritual.
Integrated services.
Creative + media + strategy + production running alongside each other.
Local nuance, region-ready.
Consistent across APAC. Relevant in every market. Calibrated by the people who live there.
On-the-ground experts.
Local operators, creators, analysts, and strategists. Not a remote audit team.
Frequently asked questions.
Why does Korea need a different marketing approach?
Korea's market dynamics are fundamentally different from many other global markets. Consumer behaviour, platform ecosystems, creative preferences, and decision-making processes operate on distinct cultural and technological logic. Direct translations of global campaigns consistently underperform here.
Korean audiences are highly digitally native and platform-savvy, but they expect brands to demonstrate deep local understanding. Naver and Kakao dominate search and messaging. Government buyers, B2B decision makers, and lifestyle consumers all have Korea-specific trust signals and channel preferences. Product positioning, pricing psychology, visual language, and storytelling tone need Korea-first thinking, not Western-first adaptation.
How is Kindred's Korea team structured?
We have Korean native senior strategists, creative leads, and media planners who understand Korea's market intimately across verticals: B2B, government, lifestyle, travel, and more.
Your Korean campaigns are led by people who are native to the market, who understand seasonal patterns, regulatory nuances, real-time consumer sentiment, and competitive dynamics. We connect you to our Korean team member's expertise without adding multiple layers or hand-off delays.
What platforms should we prioritize in Korea?
Platform mix differs drastically from global assumptions and varies by vertical. Naver and Kakao are essential in Korea, not secondary. Google, Meta, YouTube, and TikTok matter, but their audience composition and creative format preferences are Korea-specific. Programmatic and Digital Out of Home (DOOH) media also need to be localised to the market.
Search & SEO: Naver dominates at more than 60% of market share, with Kakao and Google as significant players. GEO and AEO are critical too. Messaging & Social: Kakao Talk is where Korean audiences spend time. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube perform differently than global counterparts. B2B & Government: Naver, Google and sometimes LinkedIn, and direct relationships drive pipeline. Paid Media: Naver, Kakao, Meta, programmatic tailored by vertical. We build your strategies around Korea's actual media behaviour, not global norms.
Can Kindred handle the creative production side locally?
Yes, end-to-end. We produce brand films, photography, social content, performance creative, and thought leadership materials locally with Korean-native creative team members. Copy is transcreated for Korea, not machine-translated, to capture cultural nuance, local idiom, and the tone that resonates with your specific audience.
We understand what visuals, messaging, and tones resonate across Korean audiences—from tech-forward B2B decision makers to lifestyle consumers to government stakeholders. We manage relationships with local production houses, talent, and studios. Your creative output feels native, not imported.
What types of brands do you typically work with in Korea?
Enterprise SaaS, Travel and B2B and B2G companies adapting their positioning for the Korean market. Luxury and lifestyle brands launching premium lines. And existing Korea operations looking to refresh growth after a plateau.
Common scenarios: brands who tried Korea with a global template and didn't gain traction; companies launching a completely new vertical into Korea; teams restructuring Korean operations after acquisition or market shift; and brands wanting to use Korea as a launchpad for broader APAC expansion.
How long does a Korea campaign typically take to launch?
A properly localized launch takes 30 days minimum, depending on vertical. This may include audits, positioning refinement, creative development, platform setup, regulatory compliance review, and strategy optimization.
Timeline varies: foundation work (30-45 days), creative & positioning (20-30 days), platform setup and testing (15-30 days), full launch.
Do you work with brands that aren't in South Korea yet?
Yes. Most of our Korean engagements are either single market or part of a broader APAC strategy across all verticals: B2B, government, lifestyle, and travel. Korea, China and Japan are often where global brands need our support to ensure their APAC strategy is successful.
How do you handle different sales cycles across verticals?
We tailor strategy to your vertical. B2B and government buyers have longer decision cycles and require different sales enablement. Lifestyle and travel audiences move faster but demand premium creative and cultural authenticity. Our media planning, content strategy, and partnership development adapt to your specific buyer journey and decision-making process.
What's the typical engagement structure?
Most engagements start with a foundation phase where we audit your current strategy or market fit, refine positioning, and build the strategic, media and creative framework for Korea.
After that, we can work on a project basis (single campaign), retained monthly retainer (ongoing management), or a hybrid model. Terms depend on your needs: are you launching something new, scaling an existing presence, or refreshing an underperforming market?
How do we get started?
Book a conversation with our team. We'll review your brand, market position, vertical, and what you're trying to achieve in Korea. We'll provide an honest assessment of whether Kindred is the right fit and what a Korea-specific strategy might look like.
From there, we either move into a foundation phase engagement or help you think through next steps independently. Either way, you leave with clear understanding of the Korea market and what success requires for your vertical.