Cycling Gear Price Video Hits 15.78 Million Views: "Next Year's Trend Is Trail Running" [Content Commerce]

Spoon Founders Choi Hyukjun and Lee Heejae
Operating "Deals Outdoor" Since Early 2023
Achieved 15.78 Million Views with Outdoor Content

"Outdoor activities, which help people go outside, enjoy nature, regain their health, and relieve stress, are an area that digital technology simply cannot replace."

Choi Hyukjun and Lee Heejae, co-founders of the audio platform "Spoon," which has surpassed 30 million cumulative downloads, have set their sights on the outdoor market. Since early 2023, they have been operating "Deals Outdoor," a platform that combines a community for people who enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, running, and cycling, with a marketplace for both secondhand and new products.

Lee Heejae, Co-CEO of Deals Outdoor. Photo by Cafe24

The two founders' entry into the outdoor market was inspired by their experiences while running Spoon. Whenever they faced challenges, they would enjoy outdoor activities like cycling or camping. They have each accumulated over a decade of camping experience.

The distinguishing feature of Deals Outdoor is its "outdoor specialization." Unlike Danggeun Market, users can trade secondhand goods within specific outdoor categories, purchase carefully selected new products from Deals, and share their opinions about these products. The platform also offers a community function where users can actively share activity records such as "ran a certain number of kilometers" or "participated in a specific event."

Lee Heejae explained, "The value Deals wants to convey is 'rest,' which is why our brand image resembles a horizontal comma. We wanted to build a community where people who share similar outdoor experiences can come together."

From the start, they launched a YouTube channel and posted a variety of outdoor-related content, quickly gaining around 49,000 subscribers. Lee Heejae began his career at an advertising agency and led performance marketing as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Spoon for over 10 years. To target their main demographic of people in their 30s and 40s, he conducted interviews at outdoor events and filmed content in affluent neighborhoods like Banpo. The most popular content has been "Wow Much," a series where they ask cyclists about the price of their equipment. One video in this series has garnered over 15.78 million views.

Expanding beyond cycling, they have recently begun producing content on a wide range of outdoor activities. Currently, they are focusing on running-related content, and next year, they expect "trail running," which involves running through mountains or grasslands, to gain significant attention. They are working to secure relevant brands and content in this area. Lee Heejae noted, "Although the overall outdoor market continues to grow steadily, individual segments like camping, running, and cycling experience cycles of growth and decline. We analyze search volumes and the amount of Instagram content generated to pinpoint when trends are emerging and strategically release content at those times."

The commerce business is also growing rapidly. After focusing on secondhand transactions in the early days of the business in 2023, they expanded into new product sales last year, achieving average monthly revenue growth of 15% and a 20% increase in user numbers. They currently sell a variety of brands, including the premium French cycling brand "Cafe du Cycliste," the French running brand "Circle Sportswear," and the Japanese outdoor brand "Ridge Mountain Gear." Deals Outdoor now features 102 brands and over 3,000 products.

Integrating "YouTube Shopping" through the e-commerce platform "Cafe24" and connecting the YouTube channel with commerce has also contributed to sales growth. Products are displayed directly in the "Store" tab and within content on the YouTube channel, creating a seamless path to purchase. Lee Heejae explained, "During last month's Black Friday event, about 40% of Cafe du Cycliste products sold out, prompting us to reorder due to the overwhelming response."

The goal for Deals Outdoor is to grow into a platform that designs users' outdoor experiences. To achieve this, they are preparing to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) features. By analyzing activity records that users personally register through the app, the platform will assess each individual's activity level and recommend suitable products. Lee Heejae emphasized, "What sets us apart is that we recommend products based on a user's actual outdoor activity data, not just what other consumers like. We aim to become a platform that delivers the value of healthy hobbies and rest found in nature-something AI can never fully replace."