"Guys, trust me and try it once"…Jung Yong-jin's 'Real Strategy' Promoted Even by Competitors [Celebrities' Must-Haves]

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Jung Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group, is taking on the role of a ‘promotional ambassador’ by recommending products from food and beverage and distribution companies such as KFC, Hyundai Department Store, Lotte Mart, and Nongshim through his social media (SNS). Vice Chairman Jung is an influencer with 800,000 followers on his Instagram account. Through active communication with the public, he is not only actively promoting products from food and beverage companies that have collaborative relationships but is also implementing a strategy of experiencing and sharing the strategies of companies that are in competition.

Vice Chairman Jeong Yong-jin of Shinsegae Group recommended KFC products in a post on his Instagram on the 6th. Photo by Jeong Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group Instagram

Jung Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group. Photo by Shinsegae Group

Vice Chairman Jung responded humorously to an article that mentioned a post recommending the competing brand KFC instead of Shinsegae Food’s hamburger brand ‘No Brand Burger.’ Last month, he shared the article on his Instagram and wrote, “Hey buddy, I ate No Brand Burger for lunch that day,” and “How can you live eating only burgers all day?”

Earlier, he had posted a photo of a KFC chicken box on his Instagram with a recommendation saying, “Hey guys, I’m having KFC for dinner. The boss here is a junior of mine, and things have changed a lot since this friend came. You guys should try it too,” which sparked a buzz among netizens. This was interpreted as a follow-up reaction to that post.

Shinsegae Group affiliate Shinsegae Food operates No Brand Burger emphasizing cost-effectiveness. Its menu overlaps with KFC’s, including hamburgers, chicken pieces, and French fries. Because of this, some consumers have nicknamed Vice Chairman Jung the so-called ‘X-Man’ (X-Man, meaning a mutant different from ordinary people) for promoting a competitor’s products on their behalf.

Born in 1978, Shin Ho-sang, CEO of KFC Korea, is a marketing expert who previously served as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Emart24, a convenience store affiliate of Shinsegae Group, and Burger King Korea. He has been leading KFC Korea since May last year. CEO Shin replied to Vice Chairman Jung’s post, saying, “Brother, sincerely thank you. Loyalty.”

KFC has not disclosed direct figures on how Vice Chairman Jung’s SNS posts have affected sales. However, they acknowledge that there has likely been a certain degree of sales increase based on circumstantial evidence.

This is not the first time Vice Chairman Jung has mentioned competitors on SNS. In December last year, he posted a ‘proof shot’ and a post on SNS about visiting the LEGO store with his family at Hyundai Department Store Pangyo branch in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, a competitor. Also, in August 2020, he posted photos related to Lotte Mart with the caption “Learned a lot,” which also attracted attention.

Because of this, there is an interpretation that Vice Chairman Jung’s visits to competitors are part of on-site management. Last year, Hyundai Department Store Pangyo branch achieved annual sales of 1 trillion KRW five years and four months after opening. This is why some see Vice Chairman Jung’s visits as an effort to seek business ideas from a top 5 domestic competitor department store that has rapidly grown to annual sales of 1.45 trillion KRW.

Vice Chairman Jung also plays the role of a promotional ambassador for food and beverage products through SNS. In August last year, he caused a stir by consecutively posting popular products from Nongshim such as Chapagetti, Shin Ramyun, and Meoktaekang on SNS. Subsequently, some Emart stores selling these products experienced a shortage of Meoktaekang.