[Edaily Reporter Kim Ji-woo ] Nongshim has “SHIN,” and SamyangFoods has “PEPPO.” Domestic instant noodle companies are going beyond simply creating their own characters and building fictional universes—they are now even establishing content production subsidiaries. This strategy moves away from merely producing promotional videos to advertise products and instead focuses on creating content that consumers actively seek out and enjoy, thereby building a brand fanbase. Analysts note that as the global recognition of K-Food grows, the importance of content that fosters ongoing relationships with consumers has increased, surpassing the value of simply exposing products once more.

According to the food industry on the 26th, Nongshim(004370)established “NM STUDIOS,” a joint venture for content production, in the U.S. last May. The company was founded through a joint investment by NongshimHoldings America—Nongshim’s U.S. holding company—and a local content production firm. The aim is not merely to operate an overseas marketing organization but to strengthen local marketing capabilities in the U.S. by establishing a separate legal entity dedicated to content production.

Nongshim has previously experienced brand growth through content exposure. After a cup noodle reminiscent of Shin Ramyun appeared in the Netflix animated series “K-Pop Demon Hunters” last year, Google search volume for “shin ramyun” hit its highest level in the past year. In fact, sales at its North American subsidiary in the fourth quarter of last year rose 4.4% to 142.1 billion won.

Nongshim has taken a more proactive approach to leveraging content. In a recently released commercial, the group aespa—Nongshim’s global ambassadors—appeared enjoying Shin Ramyun while saying, “Since when did spicy flavor become a challenge? For us, spicy flavor is happiness.”

In addition, to mark the 40th anniversary of Shin Ramyun’s launch this year, Nongshim introduced “SHIN,” the brand’s first-ever dedicated character. The character is portrayed as someone who can’t wait for Shin Ramyun’s 4-minute-30-second cooking time and travels around the world, sharing his daily life on social media. In essence, Nongshim created a “universe” from the outset to allow the character to expand his reach through animation and social media. Nongshim plans to use SHIN to communicate with international consumers across different languages and cultures.

SamyangFoods, which gained international fame with its “Buldak” brand, was a step ahead in its content strategy. After experiencing rapid growth as “spicy taste challenge” videos went viral overseas, the company began to build on the Buldak brand by integrating it with characters and content. SamyangRound Square, the holding company of SamyangFoods, established its content subsidiary “Samyang Ani” in 2021. Samyang Ani is responsible for developing its own intellectual property (IP)—including “PEPPO,” a new character for Buldak Bokkeummyun—and producing content.

PEPPO is a new character succeeding the existing Buldak mascot, “Ho-chi.” Since Ho-chi’s business rights in non-food sectors were divided, limiting the expansion of the IP, the company developed its own IP, PEPPO. The PEPPO YouTube channel has 1.05 million subscribers.

The company has also set out to build a fanbase. Last June, it launched its own platform, “PEPPO World.com.” Here, users can utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to create Pepo images, collect character cards, and complete missions. This month, the company also launched “Pepo World Shop,” an official online store selling character merchandise such as plush toys and keychains. The strategy is to create a cycle where a character originating from a product becomes content, and the fandom built through that content leads back to the consumption of merchandise and products.

Samyang plans to go beyond simply promoting Buldak as “spicy ramen” and instead turn the spicy flavor itself into a cultural phenomenon. Samyang Round Square also operates “BURNT,” a content brand centered on spicy flavors. Its first series, “Spicy Blind Date,” targeted a global audience with a format that combines a spicy food challenge with a dating show.

A food industry official stated, “While advertisements in the past were product-centric content that directly conveyed a product’s features and benefits, it has become difficult to capture attention with this approach alone as consumer ad fatigue has increased.” The official added, “As companies expand into overseas markets and compete with global firms, content is evolving from a ‘means’ to aid product sales into a ‘brand asset’ that companies must build up over the long term.”