By Park Jin-hai
Snacks and food that used to be popular in Korea are having a heyday in Russia.
Once-popular hit products like Paldo's Dosirak, which are instant noodles, Binggrae's Kkotgaerang, a crab-shaped snack, and Lotte Chilsung's carbonated beverage Milkis all reported brisk sales there thanks to smart marketing strategies and "hallyu" or Korean wave.
Paldo's Dosirak is very popular among Russians. Its sales reached 100 billlion won in 2007 and have been growing by an annual rate of over 10 percent ever since. This year they are expected to post double the 2007 figure.
The local food company now has more than 20 percent of the Russian market share.
"Russian sales are 50 times those of the local market. We contribute our success to giving (consumers) more variety in taste, like mushroom and shrimp flavors," said a sales manager of the company. "Also, it has plastic fork included in the package. That is the difference between us and our competitors."
The sales of Binggrae's Kkotgaerang in Russia passed 10 billion won in 2006. They doubled the figure in 2009, and last year it reached 30 billion won, taking first place in the snack category there.
"In Russia, due to the geography, sea food is pretty expensive. Few snacks are sea-food flavored. So I think our crab-flavored product was pleasantly new. They also go well with beer," said Kim Tae-gyu, a sales manager of the company.
The food and snack maker has a blueprint to make inroads further into Ukraine and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The export of Lotte Chilsung's Milkis, a mixture of soda and milk, is on the steady rise, too. In 2006, the fizzy drink posted over 5 billion won in sales, and this year it is estimated to more than triple that figure, with 16.3 billion won.
The company stated the idea of mixing soda and milk was a pleasant surprise to Russian customers. Lotte Chilsung also rolled out other flavors with the same brand names. Based on the idea that tropical fruits are less accessible to the country, they have introduced products that come in pineapple and banana flavors.
Food and confectionary industry watchers say the current lead that Korean companies have will remain for some time, since the equivalent Russian market is less developed.
Snacks and food that used to be popular in Korea are having a heyday in Russia.
Once-popular hit products like Paldo's Dosirak, which are instant noodles, Binggrae's Kkotgaerang, a crab-shaped snack, and Lotte Chilsung's carbonated beverage Milkis all reported brisk sales there thanks to smart marketing strategies and "hallyu" or Korean wave.
Paldo's Dosirak is very popular among Russians. Its sales reached 100 billlion won in 2007 and have been growing by an annual rate of over 10 percent ever since. This year they are expected to post double the 2007 figure.
The local food company now has more than 20 percent of the Russian market share.
"Russian sales are 50 times those of the local market. We contribute our success to giving (consumers) more variety in taste, like mushroom and shrimp flavors," said a sales manager of the company. "Also, it has plastic fork included in the package. That is the difference between us and our competitors."
The sales of Binggrae's Kkotgaerang in Russia passed 10 billion won in 2006. They doubled the figure in 2009, and last year it reached 30 billion won, taking first place in the snack category there.
"In Russia, due to the geography, sea food is pretty expensive. Few snacks are sea-food flavored. So I think our crab-flavored product was pleasantly new. They also go well with beer," said Kim Tae-gyu, a sales manager of the company.
The food and snack maker has a blueprint to make inroads further into Ukraine and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The export of Lotte Chilsung's Milkis, a mixture of soda and milk, is on the steady rise, too. In 2006, the fizzy drink posted over 5 billion won in sales, and this year it is estimated to more than triple that figure, with 16.3 billion won.
The company stated the idea of mixing soda and milk was a pleasant surprise to Russian customers. Lotte Chilsung also rolled out other flavors with the same brand names. Based on the idea that tropical fruits are less accessible to the country, they have introduced products that come in pineapple and banana flavors.
Food and confectionary industry watchers say the current lead that Korean companies have will remain for some time, since the equivalent Russian market is less developed.
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