By Yun Suh-young
The K-food boom is expanding from food to beverages.
Soon, Korean beverage firms will bolster their efforts to expand their shares in the global market, just as "Hwayo" did.
At the center of an effort to globalize Korean liquor is Hwayo, a local traditional liquor brand, which made its way into the land of whisky. Hwayo will go on sale at the luxury British department store Fortnum & Mason in London starting from Oct. 9. Fortnum & Mason is globally recognized for its high quality goods which are known to service the royal family.
Behind the marketing accomplishment stands Lucia Cho, global marketing director of Hwayo and CEO of Bicena, a Korean fine dining restaurant. Cho is the daughter of Cho Taekwon, president of Kwangjuyo Group, the parent company of Hwayo and Bicena, which specializes in ceramic ware.
Upon departure to participate in the launching ceremony of Hwayo at Fortnum & Mason, Cho spoke to W magazine via e-mail about Hwayo's prospects in the global market. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
What was the background behind Hwayo's launch at Fortnum & Mason in London?
Earlier this year, Fortnum & Mason's CEO Ewan Venters visited Korea and he had a chance to drink Hwayo for the first time. He highly evaluated Hwayo after tasting it, saying it had a deep flavor with subtle rice fragrance which was pretty addictive. He lauded that it was alcohol to drink for the sake of the taste, not for the sake of getting drunk and decided to market it at his department store.
Part of the contribution goes to Judy Joo, a Korean-American star chef who was one of the four contestants in the cooking show "Iron Chef UK," who introduced the drink to Venters and helped us launch the product in London. Joo, who is a close friend of mine, also modeled for the English version of our poster.
Hwayo is already exported globally to Japan, China, and the United States. How was the reaction in those markets and how do you forecast the future of Hwayo in England?
The future of Hwayo in the global market is optimistic. Countries such as England, France, Japan and the United States, which have highly developed food cultures, have a strict standard for "taste." Although there is still limited information about Korean soju, when people from these countries encounter Hwayo, they are delighted by the fact that there is such quality liquor in Korea as well.
In the case of the U.S., Hwayo is already sold at 100 stores and markets in California and Hawaii and will expand its distribution market to the eastern region.
What is the strength of Hwayo and how does it differentiate from other Korean sojus?
Hwayo's strength comes from its flexibility and uniqueness. Hwayo is liquor specially developed to match Korean food.
It is not alcohol to get drunk on, it is alcohol to blend and harmonize with the food. Hwayo's identity comes from its efforts to convey proper food and beverage culture.
What is unique about Hwayo is that its variety of ABVs (alcohol by volume) – 17, 25, and 41- pair specifically with a certain type of food. The Hwayo 17 degrees pairs with appetizers, Hwayo 25 degrees with fish or sashimi, and Hwayo 41 degrees with meat or greasy food.
What are Hwayo's competitors?
When Hwayo was made, it was made to compete with global traditional liquors – Hwayo 17 to rival with wine or sake, Hwayo 25 to compete with Japanese soju, and Hwayo 41 to match with vodka. The new line, Hwayo X.P.'s competitors are whisky and brandy. Hwayo's sales have substantially increased since the change of its bottle and logo design.
What propelled the change and how is it met with?
Hwayo means "nobility disciplined by fire" in Korean but was initially written in Chinese characters. In order to emphasize its identity as Korean liquor, however, we changed the logo design to Korean. We also changed the bottle to a modern black and white design which is inspired by the celadon of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392).
The strong Korean calligraphy met with the modern bottle and created a powerful brand image. Our sales have increased by 30 percent annually ever since.
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| Lucia Cho |
Soon, Korean beverage firms will bolster their efforts to expand their shares in the global market, just as "Hwayo" did.
At the center of an effort to globalize Korean liquor is Hwayo, a local traditional liquor brand, which made its way into the land of whisky. Hwayo will go on sale at the luxury British department store Fortnum & Mason in London starting from Oct. 9. Fortnum & Mason is globally recognized for its high quality goods which are known to service the royal family.
Behind the marketing accomplishment stands Lucia Cho, global marketing director of Hwayo and CEO of Bicena, a Korean fine dining restaurant. Cho is the daughter of Cho Taekwon, president of Kwangjuyo Group, the parent company of Hwayo and Bicena, which specializes in ceramic ware.
Upon departure to participate in the launching ceremony of Hwayo at Fortnum & Mason, Cho spoke to W magazine via e-mail about Hwayo's prospects in the global market. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
What was the background behind Hwayo's launch at Fortnum & Mason in London?
Earlier this year, Fortnum & Mason's CEO Ewan Venters visited Korea and he had a chance to drink Hwayo for the first time. He highly evaluated Hwayo after tasting it, saying it had a deep flavor with subtle rice fragrance which was pretty addictive. He lauded that it was alcohol to drink for the sake of the taste, not for the sake of getting drunk and decided to market it at his department store.
Part of the contribution goes to Judy Joo, a Korean-American star chef who was one of the four contestants in the cooking show "Iron Chef UK," who introduced the drink to Venters and helped us launch the product in London. Joo, who is a close friend of mine, also modeled for the English version of our poster.
Hwayo is already exported globally to Japan, China, and the United States. How was the reaction in those markets and how do you forecast the future of Hwayo in England?
The future of Hwayo in the global market is optimistic. Countries such as England, France, Japan and the United States, which have highly developed food cultures, have a strict standard for "taste." Although there is still limited information about Korean soju, when people from these countries encounter Hwayo, they are delighted by the fact that there is such quality liquor in Korea as well.
In the case of the U.S., Hwayo is already sold at 100 stores and markets in California and Hawaii and will expand its distribution market to the eastern region.
What is the strength of Hwayo and how does it differentiate from other Korean sojus?
Hwayo's strength comes from its flexibility and uniqueness. Hwayo is liquor specially developed to match Korean food.
It is not alcohol to get drunk on, it is alcohol to blend and harmonize with the food. Hwayo's identity comes from its efforts to convey proper food and beverage culture.
What is unique about Hwayo is that its variety of ABVs (alcohol by volume) – 17, 25, and 41- pair specifically with a certain type of food. The Hwayo 17 degrees pairs with appetizers, Hwayo 25 degrees with fish or sashimi, and Hwayo 41 degrees with meat or greasy food.
What are Hwayo's competitors?
When Hwayo was made, it was made to compete with global traditional liquors – Hwayo 17 to rival with wine or sake, Hwayo 25 to compete with Japanese soju, and Hwayo 41 to match with vodka. The new line, Hwayo X.P.'s competitors are whisky and brandy. Hwayo's sales have substantially increased since the change of its bottle and logo design.
What propelled the change and how is it met with?
Hwayo means "nobility disciplined by fire" in Korean but was initially written in Chinese characters. In order to emphasize its identity as Korean liquor, however, we changed the logo design to Korean. We also changed the bottle to a modern black and white design which is inspired by the celadon of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392).
The strong Korean calligraphy met with the modern bottle and created a powerful brand image. Our sales have increased by 30 percent annually ever since.
