An Ingenious Marketing Strategy

It’s called Pepero Day and it could very well be the most effective marketing scheme I’ve ever encountered!

Pepero is a snack you can buy in every convenience store throughout Korea. It’s a cookie-like wafer that is in the shape of a stick, and on November 11 (11/11) you give everyone you’ve ever known a box of Pepero.

According to Wikipedia (seriously, what would we do without Wkipedia?) the Lotte Company denies ever marketing such a day, but rather ‘observed’ an increase of sales on November 11, which they attributed to the shape of the snack looking like the date. I think we can all agree that’s a bunch of hooey, but regardless, you must admit, the idea is rather inventive.

It’s so classic because on Pepero you never expect to get anything OTHER than Pepero. I mean, if we had a Snickers Day, you wouldn’t think you might receive a Hershey’s chocolate bar would you?

When I first heard of Pepero Day I was in awe of the cleverness and audacity of the marketing strategists. But what’s even more impressive than the idea? The fact that it is so successful! Lotte makes about 60% of it’s annual sales in Pepero during the month of November. I’m sure Hallmark is devising a way to incorporate such a scheme for the months that are lacking in holidays.

There are a few different variations of the snack, my favorite is the chocolate center with a chocolate outside and almonds. There’s also strawberry, nude (which is just chocolate in the center) cocoa and cheese.

Seriously, the more I get to know Koreans, the more impressed I am by them. For instance, it occurred to me that on a whole, Korea, the Korean peninsula, has few natural resources that are in high demand internationally, yet despite this slight oversight, Korea has managed to worm its way among the top international financial markets in just a few decades. That’s astounds me! Where would the U.S. be without agriculture, coal and oil?! We have natural resources other markets place in high demand, and other than amethyst, I can’t think of a single thing that sets Korea apart from the world-wide market. Other than ingenuity that is. The Korean civil war ended 60 years ago, and in that time period they have accumulated a staggering amount of personal wealth. And it’s all possible because of their commitment to science and invention. I mean, the Superconducting Super Collider was envisioned here, and for those readers who don’t know, that’s basically what makes the universe. It’s a recreation of the Big Bang, where matter and anti-matter made, well... everything.

So among the impressive array of products Korea has given us, Pepero in all it’s glory, remain the highest on my list.