[Weekender] 'Funsumerism': Buying should be fun.

Purchasing behavior is a complex decision-making process, but for some consumers, one factor plays a crucial role -- fun.

These individuals, known as "funsumers" in Korea, prioritize enjoyable and engaging experiences in all aspects of brand interaction, from buying products and attending events to social media consumption.

The long-term viability of this trend is questionable. Yet one thing seems certain: brands are constantly innovating to keep consumers entertained and, consequently, engaged through any means possible.

Brand mash-ups

At the core of this fun-driven buying trend lies retail products with creative and novel concepts, often realized through brand collaborations and playful twists on familiar items.

A college student in her 20s, Kim Ji-yeon, recently stumbled upon such a product when she stopped by a local corner store.

“For movie night with friends, I stopped by a convenience store merely to grab a bag of popcorn,” she said. “There, I found a popcorn trail mix with the Netflix logo. Since we were watching a Netflix movie that night, I thought, ‘why not?’”

Many consumers, like Kim, appeared to find the strategic collaboration between GS25 and Netflix intriguing.

As of August, the combined sales volume of these 33 Netflix-themed products has exceeded 11 million units since their launch in June last year, generating revenue of 35 million won ($26.3 million).

Instead of creating products that seamlessly integrate the brand identity of another, some companies resort to a quirky and unconventional appeal.

One example is the Bitcoin meal box. Released in May by convenience store chain E-Mart 24 in partnership with local cryptocurrency exchange operator Bithumb Korea, it included a coupon worth over 10,000 won ($7.60) in bitcoin.

The meal box, which totaled 30,000 units, sold out in less than two weeks despite initial expectations of it lasting more than three weeks.

Some brands have diversified beyond their original markets into other industries.

Since 2019, Daehan Flour Mills has featured its Gompyo polar bear character on a range of products, including beer, snacks and clothing.

Crossover collaborations that have become popular in recent years, whether in a positive or negative light, include air fresheners shaped like Jinro soju bottles, chocolate packaged in Malpyo shoe polish tins and body wash featuring the Seoul Milk logo.

While many consumers found these products humorous and endearing, their deceptive designs backfired as they inadvertently led to confusion for some.

Out-of-the-ordinary products

Aside from brand collaborations, there are diverse strategies for adding a fresh spin while adapting to evolving consumer trends.

Just as Lim Myung-ho, a psychology professor at Dankook University, noted, "A defining characteristic of the funsumer trend is that value providers must stay attuned to emerging trends."

The popularity of online eating shows like mukbang has led to the creation of supersized food items, such as the Jumbo Ramyeon series equivalent to eight servings, and Cream Daebbang, a cream bun six times larger than the original.

The mukbang-inspired ramyeon products have become a recurring theme in mukbang videos, where participants challenge themselves to consume the enormous amount of instant noodles.

Intentional typos or playful variations in product names have proven to be effective attention-grabbing tactics.

For example, in 2019, instant noodle maker Paldo intentionally altered the text on its "Paldo Bibimmyeon" product to read "Gwaldo Nenemtin," referencing the popular online wordplay that creates a nonsensical sequence of Hangul characters closely resembling the original name.

Last year, Burger King Korea introduced a new hamburger with a mouthful of a name using 39 characters in Korean, intended purely to entertain consumers.

Unusual flavor combinations can also add an element of fun.

Kellogg's Korea's introduction of a green onion-flavored cereal, which became a sold-out sensation in 2020, was more for its fun factor than its taste.

Lim remarked that incorporating amusing elements into products may accelerate their life cycle.

"Consumers are constantly seeking enjoyment in their purchasing behavior," he said. "This necessitates that brands invest more effort in understanding what captivates them and introduce new products more frequently on a shorter timeline than typical products."

Fun engagement

The funsumer trend is not merely limited to products.

One prevalent manifestation is the pop-up store.

Park Jae-min, a Seoul-based office worker in his 30s, remembered an SK Energy gas station-themed pub packed with people last year.

“It really looked like a gas station, with people drinking beer inside,” he recalled.

Although he didn't drink there because of the crowd, he noted that it would have been fun to do so.

A more recent example is Nongshim's September pop-up restaurant, which showcased creative dishes made with its black bean-flavored ramyeon product, Chapagetti, in ways previously unimaginable.

As industry insiders have pointed out, the rise of the funsumer phenomenon is partially linked to the impact of social media.

Besides on-site experiences, these digital spaces are crucial platforms for not only sharing consumers' unique experiences but also directly engaging with brand events.

It could be a venue for fun competitions, such as the experimental photo competition Samsung held last year. Participants were invited to share zoomed-in photos of Samsung eyesight test charts set up in Samsung stores, promoting the zoom capabilities of the Galaxy S series.

Some brands take the initiative to create their own content, in such forms as webtoons, drama series and entertainment shows, to deliver entertainment value.

Korean kitchen appliance brand Cuchen, for example, released a short web series on YouTube to connect with a younger audience.

Professor Lim predicted that the trend of seeking fun in consumption is unlikely to decline, as the meaning of consumption has evolved in today's era.

“The notion that if you’re going to spend money, you should invest in products that provide additional enjoyment resonates strongly with many consumers,” he said. “I don't perceive this as negative, but it rather signifies a shift in consumption patterns particularly among younger generations."

However, Lim cautioned that companies, while keeping abreast of what’s new and fun, should not lose sight of developing the core qualities of their products.

“In the end, companies should integrate fun elements into their brand activities while also improving the overall quality of their products.”