How to win the hearts of users
How to win the hearts of users
NAVER | Corporate | Kwon Soon-tae
When we think of a marketer, we usually think about trendsetters. However, Kwon Soon-tae, a seasoned marketer with nine years of experience, responsible for TV advertisements of major NAVER services, offers a slightly different perspective. From the Papago ad, which showcases real-time translation results as texts are typed in an empty screen, to the NAVER Shopping ad, which provides a step-by-step guide on how to use Naver Pay Points, the strategy that focuses on the essence of the services with no bells and whistles was enough to capture the hearts of users.
Kwon Soon-tae, who thoroughly studies a service as much as a service planner, defines that the role of a marketer is to “deliver a charm that can practically support and bring actual value to users.” It’s about prioritizing what users truly want to know and need rather than the marketer in charge running after trends with a sense of greed. To Kwon, users are the source of inspiration and motivation for his work.
Tell us about the work.
Since joining NAVER as a newcomer in 2014, I have been working as a marketer for the past nine years. I have been in charge of the NAVER TV ad campaigns for a long time, after working for LINE and NAVER Pay marketing.
Discussion these days mainly revolve around making the brand image of NAVER Shopping service number one in Korea. With the recent increase in the number of shopping platforms, competition in this market has become increasingly intense. Our goal is to position NAVER Shopping as the most cherished service among the various shopping platforms available. We are implementing marketing strategies that solidify the brand image in alignment with this. Also, I’m responsible for membership marketing, with the goal of boosting the number of NAVER Plus Membership subscribers.
What do you think is a marketer’s job?
Marketers are working hard to create an exceptional service alongside service planners, developers, and designers. In my opinion, a marketer's primary focus is to establish a “strong brand preference” amidst various tasks and processes involved in delivering a quality service. The role of marketers in winning the hearts of users is to identify and deliver an attractive point that practically supports and brings actual value to users.
What was the charm that you focused on delivering through NAVER Shopping marketing?
The most attractive part of NAVER Shopping service would be “NAVER Pay Point,” which in fact garnered significant enthusiasm from users. And we also prioritized it in our marketing efforts. Given the challenging economic situation with rising prices, we thought long and hard about how to appeal to users. And the answer lied in the reward points that we earn every time we shop. We tried to emphasize the “reward points” that can actually be useful, rather than “the lowest price” that is not always guaranteed. As a result, we came up with the main advertising copy, “NAVER Shopping got your back, don’t worry about rising prices.” Our intention was to highlight such an aspect of our service that can give a sense of support for users and win their hearts.
What does it mean to be good at your job?
I would say high achievers are those who are good at reflecting feedback. This doesn’t mean simply taking the feedback as it is. The type of people I have great respect for are those who look into all different aspects of the feedback they receive to provide outstanding results. They must have their own reasons for mulling over a problem, and some feedback might be hard for them to agree with. However, they eventually manage to develop their idea, blending all the opinions of colleagues and decision-makers at a higher level, the company’s direction, and even their own creatives. What I always find most difficult is the process of converging different opinions to a single point while maintaining my own style. This is why I admire those who pull this off, especially if what they are doing has no definite answer.
What is your next goal?
Every year, we are assigned to major projects, or we volunteer and take them on. I want to become a trustworthy person so that people can say, “Let’s give this project to Soon-tae. I’m sure he will make something out of it.” My next goal is to become a reliable person at work, so that others can always count on me for the next project.
