KT&G 'Esse' Surpasses 700 Billion Units Sold Domestically and Internationally... World's No. 1

16 Years as Korea's No.1 in Sales and Winner of Various Brand Awards... World's No.1 Ultra-Thin Water-Based Product

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] KT&G announced on the 21st that its ultra-slim cigarette ‘Esse’ has surpassed a cumulative domestic and international sales volume of 700 billion sticks.

Launched in November 1996, ‘Esse’ recorded domestic and overseas sales of 412.5 billion sticks and 303.2 billion sticks respectively up to the first quarter, achieving a cumulative sales volume of 715.7 billion sticks. Converted by length, this equals circling the Earth 1,789 times, and by time, about 50 packs were sold every second. Throughout KT&G’s competition with foreign companies to maintain dominance in the domestic market and its growth into a global company exporting cigarettes to over 80 countries worldwide, ‘Esse’ has always been at the forefront.

‘Esse’ holds about 30% of the domestic cigarette market and has maintained the number one position in domestic sales for 16 years since 2004. It also ranks first in the global ultra-slim cigarette market beyond Korea. Since its first export in 2001, it has grown into a global mega brand chosen by one in three ultra-slim cigarette consumers worldwide. In addition to existing export regions such as Russia, Indonesia, and the Middle East, sales channels are expanding worldwide to Latin America, Africa, and more, so the territory of ‘Esse’ is expected to grow even further.

The growth of ‘Esse’ was driven by a ‘systematic brand management and brand expansion strategy.’ In a cigarette market dominated by regular products, ‘Esse’ emphasized smooth and clean product characteristics to meet new consumer demands. It has also continuously strengthened brand identity and product quality through ongoing brand evaluation. The brand expansion strategy continues, with 25 types of ‘Esse’ reflecting diverse consumer needs sold domestically, and 75 types of ‘Esse’ created through localization strategies sold overseas.

The brand competitiveness of ‘Esse’ is reflected in various awards from credible market research institutions. Domestically, it has secured first place for 13 consecutive years in the tobacco category of the ‘Korea Industry Brand Power’ organized by the Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC), and for 11 consecutive years in the ‘National Brand Competitiveness Index (NBC)’ organized by the Korea Productivity Center (KPC), solidifying its position as a representative domestic brand. Overseas, it has been selected as the world’s number one brand in the ultra-slim cigarette category for five consecutive years by the global market research firm Euromonitor International.

A KT&G official stated, “We are making continuous efforts to deliver differentiated value that only ‘Esse’ can provide to consumers,” adding, “We will continue to lead the global ultra-slim cigarette market with more sophisticated and market-centered brand strategies beyond Korea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.