[Hipple Hip Item] 5 Billion Sold 'Will'... "Differentiated Gut Health Worked, Act 2 Begins"

Interview with Brand Manager Senior Researcher Jeong Hyeokjin
"A product that played a major role in the company's leap... the heart of hy"
Focus on the top instead of the jar... bold choices in packaging and advertising models
Reflecting long-term consumers' voices to increase brand awareness

"In the domestic food industry, products that achieve annual sales of over 300 billion KRW under a single brand are very rare. As the marketer responsible for this, it is an honor, but it also comes with great responsibility and pressure."

Jung Hyuk-jin, senior researcher and brand manager of 'Helicobacter Project Will (Will)', a fermented milk product representing hy for stomach health, is explaining the product in an interview with Asia Economy.
[Photo by hy]

Jung Hyuk-jin, Senior Researcher and Brand Manager of hy's representative stomach health fermented milk product 'Helicobacter Project Will (Will),' said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 6th, "Will is like the 'heart of hy,' a product that played a major role in the company's leap forward."

Will, which hy first introduced in 2000, surpassed 5 billion cumulative sales units 24 years after its launch as of last month. The cumulative sales revenue exceeded 6 trillion KRW by last year, with annual sales around 330 billion KRW. In the same industry, where selling over 30,000 units a day is considered a 'blockbuster product,' Will has established itself as a 'mega hit' product, with more than 600,000 units consumed daily by customers.

Senior Researcher Jung cited the differentiated strategy pursued from the product development stage as the key to Will's success. While most fermented milk products in the late 1990s focused on intestinal health, Will researched premium fermented milk focusing on stomach health. This was a time when Westernized diets and the consumption of spicy or salty foods caused problems, and research results on Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which cause diseases in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, increased interest in stomach health.

Senior Researcher Jung explained, "Since food passes from the esophagus through the stomach to the small and large intestines, it was important for the probiotics to function effectively even before reaching the intestines. This conviction led to the creation of Will." The product name Will also contains the meaning and design of 'caring for the stomach.'

The square container, which Will has adhered to since its launch, is also a point of distinction. Senior Researcher Jung said, "Most drinkable fermented milk products use round containers for manufacturing convenience. Square containers can cause issues such as getting stuck or breaking on conveyor belts, but we incorporated this to highlight Will's unique features."

Will also succeeded in differentiation through marketing. A representative example is the early use of Dr. Barry Marshall (Australia), who was the first in the world to successfully culture Helicobacter pylori bacteria, as an advertising model. This applied the 'law of endorsement effect,' a marketing method based on expert authority. After Dr. Marshall won the Nobel Prize in 2005 for his research, Will's sales increased significantly.

Subsequently, Will raised awareness by featuring top stars of the time as models and combining word-of-mouth marketing with over 10,000 hy Fresh Managers actively promoting the product's unique features on the ground. Additionally, Will has undergone ten product renewals to date, including launching a low-fat version in 2010 and enhancing functionality last year by adding 'Kkujippong leaf extract,' a proprietary individual recognition ingredient developed by hy.

Jung Hyuk-jin, senior researcher and brand manager of 'Helicobacter Project Will (Will)', a fermented milk product representing hy for stomach health, is introducing the product.
[Photo by hy]

Since last September, Senior Researcher Jung has been in charge of Will's marketing as the Category Manager (CM) for dairy products in hy's marketing division. The achievements Will has made over 24 years are both a milestone and a new challenge for him. He is an expert in the research field, having majored in food engineering at university and earned a doctorate in pharmacy. Since joining hy in 2008, he has worked in product development, future growth, and production-related departments, but marketing is his first role. Senior Researcher Jung said, "Marketers need to communicate with all departments within the company and must understand many aspects of product research and regulatory matters. The career I have built since joining the company helps me as someone responsible for collaborative work."

If the history of Will achieving cumulative sales of 5 billion units is considered 'Act 1,' Senior Researcher Jung is preparing 'Act 2' for the brand's leap forward. Starting this year, he plans to listen to the voices of customers who have used the product for over ten years and incorporate their feedback into marketing. He also hinted that the company is researching ways to create Will products in other forms such as stick or film types, beyond the current drinkable form. He emphasized, "Loyal customers who use Will daily, steadily, and over a long period are the true history of the product. Our goal is to enhance product trust through their experiences and introduce Will to even more people."