"Attracting Donghak Ants" Securities Firms' Marketing Battle... From 'Park Hodoo' to Munhwa Dabang

Samsung Securities ELS YouTube Ad Surpasses 1 Million Views in About One Month After Upload

Samsung Securities' ELS YouTube Advertisement (Photo by YouTube Screen Capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Riding the wave of stock investment enthusiasm among individual investors known as 'Donghak Ants,' securities firms are launching various marketing campaigns.

On the 11th, Samsung Securities' equity-linked securities (ELS) YouTube advertisement's first part recorded 1.03 million views, and the second part recorded 520,000 views. This achievement was made about a month after uploading the video on the 8th of last month.

The details in the advertisement catch investors' attention. Everyone prays tirelessly under the ginkgo tree to prevent the 'profitability (城)' that protected the people from poverty from shaking, but suddenly someone shouts, "Now, this kind of thing is useless." This indirectly implies investing in ELS as bank savings and deposits have effectively entered a 'zero interest rate' era, no longer guaranteeing profits. The advertisement also turns ELS into the four-character idiom 'I-ae-rae-su (利愛來水),' meaning 'beneficial and lovely profits flow like water,' which is considered a humorous highlight.

An industry insider who saw Samsung Securities' ELS YouTube advertisement said, "I thought it was fresh and fun," adding, "It seems that the content of securities firms' advertisements, which used to be only conservative, is gradually changing."

Jung Young-chae, President of NH Investment & Securities, appears as a one-day barista at Munhwa Dabang (Photo by NH Investment & Securities)

There is also marketing that makes 'investment culture' familiar in daily life. NH Investment & Securities opened a 'Culture Cafe' in Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul, on the 13th of last month. Here, visitors can enjoy coffee and bread from 'Mangwon-dong Nae Coffee' and 'Bread Lab,' famous in the trendy areas of Mangwon-dong and Yeonnam-dong. Jung Young-chae, CEO of NH Investment & Securities, even served as a barista for a day. This conveys that investment enriches life and is familiar and accessible. In the same building, cultural classes such as wine, meditation, and photography are held 3 to 4 times a week until August 9th, attracting attention in the securities industry with unique marketing.

An NH Investment & Securities representative explained, "At first, many people come in wondering why a securities firm is doing this, but after experiencing the Culture Cafe, customers and investors say they realized 'investment was a part of life.'"

Some firms collaborate with famous YouTubers for marketing. Ebest Investment & Securities displays a non-face-to-face account opening advertisement window with phrases like 'the first domestic securities firm to establish an overseas futures team' during the live broadcasts of YouTuber 'Park Hodoo,' who covers overseas futures. Park Hodoo has about 160,000 subscribers. At the end of the video, he directly explains how to open an account, guiding subscribers to open accounts. There are even reviews in online communities of people opening accounts with Ebest Investment & Securities following Park Hodoo.

An Ebest Investment & Securities representative said, "We are conducting marketing with Park Hodoo to expand our channel and recognition," adding, "Overseas futures accounts have increased since the marketing."

On the 9th, a video posted on 'Park Hodoo Overseas Futures' showing an advertisement window for Ebest Investment & Securities (Photo by YouTube screen capture)

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