Why Happycall Kitchenware Is Branded with 'Flex'

New Coined Word Meaning 'Show Off' Engraved on New Products
'Millennial Committee' Key Player in Creating a Young Image

Soyeon Park, CEO of Happy Call

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] Kitchenware manufacturer Happycall is accelerating its communication management with millennials in their 20s and 30s. The company is driving change by incorporating fresh ideas from a young perspective into key decision-making processes.

According to Happycall on the 13th, the new frying pan product scheduled for release this month will feature the word 'Flex' engraved on it. The design will also be differentiated from previously introduced frying pan products. 'Flex' is a newly coined term that started trending as rappers used it to mean 'show off (money or valuables),' and it is now shaking up the consumer market.

This new product focuses on the brand core values that Happycall has been actively promoting since this year. The strategy is to widely communicate the core values of being 'practical,' 'young,' and 'approachable' to actively target millennial customers. The millennial generation refers to those born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

Happycall 'Forest Wood'

At the center of this change is the 'Millennial Committee,' an organization composed of six millennial employees. These are employees in their 20s and 30s from various departments such as product planning, design, sales, and marketing, formed in October last year. Opinions from the Millennial Committee, which has a 'young sensibility,' are actively reflected in the company's key decision-making.

The committee's input is being applied in various areas, including the ongoing brand campaign video planning for 'Happycall Bbung Flash,' marketing ideas for new product launches such as 'Forest Wood' released at the end of January this year, and reviewing brand slogan candidates. It is also known that a new promotional model fitting the new brand core values will be selected based on the committee's suggestions. So far, actor Daniel Henney has served as Happycall's promotional model.

Happycall Headquarters Exterior View

The Millennial Committee was created as a result of external consulting. It is part of CEO Park Soyeon's communication management strategy, who took office in July last year. When launching the 'Happycall Bbung Flash' campaign last month, CEO Park said, "The campaign embodies our commitment to becoming a younger and more approachable brand." She also attached a sign on her office door saying, 'Do not knock, just come in,' so employees can visit her comfortably.

Since its founding in 1999, Happycall has gained popularity with double-sided pans, frying pans, and vacuum pots, and has expanded its range to kitchen appliances by launching ultra-fast blenders, electric grills, air fryers, and teapots. The first Millennial Committee's activities will end at the end of next month. The company plans to form a second committee with other employees in their 20s and 30s to revitalize the organization.