KOTRA collaborates with foreign influencers to promote local SMEs
This video still shows Miguel Suarez, a Mexican YouTuber living in Korea, promoting a Korean snack on KOTRA's YouTube channel. KOTRA, a state-run trade promotion agency, said Tuesday that it has been cooperating with overseas influencers to promote products of small and medium-sized companies in the global market. Courtesy of KOTRA
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) is collaborating with overseas influencers to help promote to overseas buyers quality products made by domestic small and medium-sized companies, the state-run trade promotion agency said, Tuesday.
The agency said it is creating short form videos with overseas influencers, such as YouTube Shorts, letting them introduce excellent products of Korean SMEs.
KOTRA said it recently collaborated with Miguel Suarez, a Mexican YouTuber living in Korea who has around 240,000 subscribers, to create YouTube Shorts videos showcasing consumer goods. YouTube Shorts is a short form video available on YouTube that limits the maximum length of a video to one minute.
Suarez is well-known for introducing Korean culture to his subscribers on his YouTube channel Miguel imnida.
The short form videos have been coming out on KOTRA's YouTube channel KOTRA TV since Aug. 2. Currently the promotional videos feature snacks, hangover remedies and facial mask packs.
KOTRA said its “Amazing K-item” series is designed to showcase products of domestic SMEs to overseas buyers interested in Korea as well as appeal to the younger generations at home and abroad.
“We received applications from companies that wanted to promote their products overseas and overseas influencers from promising export countries try out the products and introduce them on the YouTube channel,” KOTRA said.
The first three shorts and a vlog video have been well-received, recording over 52,000 views as of Aug. 14 with comments from users in Latin America, KOTRA said, adding it plans to collaborate with overseas influencers in the United States and Europe as well.
In addition to its YouTube channel, KOTRA also utilizes various platforms such as Instagram to promote the products of domestic companies.
It has been creating 3-minute-long videos every week introducing its overseas trade centers, providing a look at each country's promising export items and economic status.
“Young generation gets information through short form videos such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, both at home and abroad,” Kim Yoon-tae, vice president of KOTRA, said. “We will strive to use this trend for effective export marketing of domestic SMEs.”