[Edaily Reporter SHIN MIN JOON ] “The success of Lisenne Bread is the result of the combined efforts of team members who were directly involved in the product development process and CU’s fandom marketing strategy, such as the photo cards.”

Lee Eun-gwan (pictured), Head of CU’s CX Division, who planned the “Lisenne Bread” that has caused a sell-out frenzy, explained the secret to its success in a recent interview with E-Daily. He noted that the success stemmed not only from featuring the idol group’s name and faces but also from incorporating the members’ personal tastes into the products, which resonated with fans.

The five varieties of “Lisenne Bread,” a collaboration between CU—operated by BGF Retail—and the K-pop girl group Lisenne, surpassed cumulative sales of 1 million units in just three weeks after their launch on the 17th of last month. As demand surged from fans seeking to collect all 27 types of transparent photo cards randomly included with the bread, some stores even saw customers lining up at opening time.

“The Lisenne Bread is the first bread product at CU to surpass 1 million units sold in such a short time,” said the division head, adding, “Since October, Lisenne Bread has been selling 100,000 units a day.”

The idea for the Lisenne Bread originated from concerns over stagnant bread sales. The company needed a catalyst to drive growth in the bread category and attract new consumers. However, collaborating with an idol group was not part of the plan from the start.

General Manager Lee explained, “We were reviewing models to grow the bread category, but we weren’t specifically considering idols,” adding, “Since trends change so quickly, it was difficult to be certain that the buzz would last.”

Lissenne was recommended by employees in the CX Division. The employees took note of Lissenne-related videos—such as the “Geoje Yaho” meme, which was gaining massive popularity online—and the reactions from fans. Division Head Lee also sensed the potential for success while reviewing the videos.

“There was a narrative surrounding the members, and thousands of comments were positive,” he said. “After seeing online engagement metrics—such as viral reach—rise week after week, we made the final decision to feature Lisenne as our model.”

Member participation was prioritized throughout the product development process. The goal was to allow fans to indirectly experience their favorite members’ tastes while eating the bread. CU went through several rounds of sending prototypes to the members, gathering their feedback, and adjusting the product accordingly.

Head Lee said, “Since the members’ names and faces were on the product, they personally oversaw the taste and quality.”

The attachment formed during the product development process led to voluntary promotion by the members. The members introduced the products through live streams and short videos, engaging with fans. He said, “The members’ participation in the development process played a major role in conveying the story behind the products and converting fan interest into actual purchases.”

Photo cards, which added to the fun of collecting, were also cited as a key factor in the product’s success. Director Lee explained that they combined the past experience of collecting stickers from celebrity-collaboration bread with the current fandom culture of collecting memorabilia.

“We took the experience of collecting celebrity stickers—like those from the Fin.K.L. bread in the past—and transformed it into photo cards that fans want to keep,” he said, adding, “Among fans, the expression ‘graduating from Lisenne’ has even emerged to signify that they’ve collected all the photo cards.”

During the planning process, the company also utilized synthetic consumer surveys powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of recruiting actual survey participants, they created virtual consumers with diverse characteristics and lifestyles and analyzed their responses.

“While traditional survey methods took at least a month to produce results, using synthetic consumer surveys makes this possible within a few days,” he explained. “This allowed us to respond swiftly to market conditions that change from one day to the next.”

CU is also preparing follow-up products to the “Lisenne Bread.” These follow-up products will also focus on foods that consumers enjoy as part of their daily routines. The goal is to create incentives for consumers to visit convenience stores every day.

He said, “Going forward, CU’s product planning and marketing will be tailored to consumer preferences and interests rather than age,” adding, “We plan to carefully examine what products and services consumers with shared interests desire and incorporate those insights into our products.”