[Publishing Industry Upheaval] ③ Unique Publisher Collaborations... Alcohol, Mangwon-dong, Tteokbokki

Publisher Mergers Amid Deepening Recession... "Trying Ideas as They Come"
Unique Attempts Adding Fun, Win-Win Strategy Gains High Reader Approval

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] In markets where demand is clear and multiple suppliers exist, fierce competition is inevitable. Competitors are willing to endure cutthroat battles to climb over rivals and seize victory.

Win-win situations do not exist, and survival of the fittest determines the outcome through ruthless competition. But what if demand itself is insufficient, threatening the survival of suppliers? In the publishing industry, where even the top player struggles to guarantee survival, unique attempts at coexistence are underway.

The beginning was a collaboration between Heureum Publishing and Literature Therapy at the end of 2019. Raw ideas emerged during a gathering where marketers from various publishers shared drinks, and soon after, these ideas were realized.

Named the ‘Event that Publisher Marketers Hold Secretly from Their Bosses,’ it focused on the fun of writing, humor in images, and originality in composition to stand out amid the flood of events. Limiting the theme to animal rights and future food, related books from the two publishers were selected and identical content was posted on both publishers’ SNS channels.

They also investigated why their own publisher’s books might be more interesting than the other’s, and readers responded enthusiastically to this witty and unique attempt. Readers consumed the event as an entertaining game rather than a book advertisement, and subsequent initiatives such as consolidating delivery fees, single-use SNS coupons, and doubling book quantities also attracted great interest. These results could not have been achieved by the marketing power of a single publisher alone.

Park Jung-hyuk, Marketing Team Manager at Heureum Publishing who led the collaboration, said, “Rather than planning in advance, we proceeded quickly whenever ideas came up, which had a great effect on increasing brand awareness,” adding, “We plan to continue presenting various attempts as new ideas arise.”

The ‘Amuteun’ series is also a representative case of joint marketing among publishers. Since the first release in 2017 by the one-person publishers Wego, Jecheolso, and Conan Books joining forces, it has continued to be successful. The three publishers take turns publishing about 150-page essays on specific themes such as alcohol, Mangwon-dong, and Tteokbokki.

The collaboration method is ‘together yet separate.’ Book production is done individually, but promotion is conducted jointly to increase cost-effectiveness. As the ‘Amuteun’ series brand gained attention through the joint promotion of the three publishers, the series has now become synonymous with essay collections.

Recently, talent-sharing among publishers centered around publishing schools has been gaining attention. ‘Han Ki-ho’s Publishing School,’ launched this year by Han Ki-ho, director of the Korea Publishing Marketing Research Institute, graduated 10 first-generation students this month. Selected through interviews, the participants studied and discussed publishing over a 12-week curriculum.

Director Han Ki-ho explained, “This cohort mainly consists of representatives of one-person publishers. It is a system to learn, share, and execute planning and marketing ideas in a rapidly changing world,” adding, “When working together, the possibility of increasing book discoverability rises.” This curriculum, which supports the entire process from book planning to publication and distribution, is fostering new possibilities through the voluntary solidarity of the students.

Jo Dong-wook, CEO of Domabaem Publishing (Yigeli) and a first-generation graduate, said, “All first-generation members formed a benevolent solidarity during the 12 weeks. Participation in the ‘Wow Book Festival’s Wow Book Fair’ is a result of that,” adding, “Even now after graduation, we hold regular monthly meetings to plan new projects. We plan to continue practicing benevolent solidarity with them in the 2nd, 3rd, and subsequent generations.”

However, there are also many voices pointing out the limitations of these attempts. Most current marketers admitted that while unique marketing somewhat raises brand awareness, it does not directly translate into sales. They also agreed that “the promotional power of influencer YouTubers, who were recently in the spotlight, is no longer as strong as before, but there is no alternative method, making the situation difficult.”