[Distribution Hot People] "Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros That Sold Out in Store Shelves, The Secret to Success Is the Perfectly Coated Chocolate Flavor"

Developer of Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros Flavor
Shin Namsun, Head of Development Part 4, Orion Global Research Institute

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] "I have always believed in the Pygmalion effect. If you expect things to go well, they do; if you expect them not to, they usually don't. No matter what difficult problem I faced, I developed a belief that it could definitely be solved, and I think the success of Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros was achieved under this conviction."

Orion has produced another hit with the Kkobuk Chip series. The star product is 'Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros flavor.' This product gained popularity through its rich chocolate flavor and sold over 2.6 million packs in about a month after its launch. The cumulative sales amount is approximately 3 billion KRW. As soon as it was displayed on supermarket shelves, it quickly sold out and was called the 'second Honey Butter Chip,' firmly establishing itself as a 'trend' product.

Shin Nam-seon, head of Development Team 4 at Orion Global Research Institute and the developer of Kkobuk Chip, is an expert who has been in charge of Orion's snack development for over 20 years since 2000. Shin revealed, "Actually, Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros was devised to complement the lacking appeal of the Sweet Cinnamon flavor." When Kkobuk Chip was first launched, unlike the Corn Soup flavor, the Sweet Cinnamon flavor did not sell well. The product was inspired by churros, but it was difficult to coat it with sugar as much as churros. When the product was impacted, the coarse sugar would fall off, reducing the sweetness.

The development team considered various ways to solve this problem and decided to coat the churros with chocolate for dipping. They thought that since chocolate is viscous when melted, sugar would adhere well to it.

The prediction was correct. Sugar adhered well to the chocolate. Shin explained, "However, a method was needed to properly apply chocolate to the snack." Most chocolate-flavored products on the market are pies or biscuits, or snacks made by blowing hot air to remove moisture before coating with chocolate. Snacks made by removing moisture with hot air have a crumbly texture and leave a very dry and rough feeling in the mouth. To solve this, Orion built new equipment from scratch and addressed issues such as the weakening of chocolate flavor over time, evenly coating chocolate on snacks during mass production, and preventing chocolate from melting, sticking together, or changing flavor during packaging and distribution.

Shin recalled, "Since the taste was completely different from the existing Sweet Cinnamon, we decided to launch the new Choco Churros flavor as a new product rather than an improved version. As the product's completeness improved, even company officials who were initially negative about the Choco Churros flavor turned positive, and consumer ratings were very high, leading to its launch."

Although the Choco Churros flavor initially targeted people in their teens and twenties, it is now loved by people of all ages and genders. Since Kkobuk Chip is currently sold overseas in countries like the U.S. and China, Orion expects the Choco Churros flavor to also be exported.

Many consumers complain about how hard it is to get Kkobuk Chip Choco Churros. Shin said, "Word of mouth spread quickly, and sales speed far exceeded expectations. The production site is operating the line beyond full capacity to supply the insufficient quantity."

Orion is also preparing new products to follow the Choco Churros flavor. Shin smiled and said, "We are preparing various lineups. For now, we are focusing on Choco Churros, and we plan to release follow-up products depending on market conditions."

He added with a bright smile, "My dream is for Kkobuk Chip to become a globally loved product and a global brand like Choco Pie. Personally, I want to create more than three brands like Kkobuk Chip to contribute to the company and enhance consumers' enjoyment of eating."