Chairman Yoon Hong-geun's 'Nego King' Gambit Revitalizes BBQ as an MZ Brand

Head Office Bears 10 Billion KRW Cost, Major Chicken Price Discount
Brand Reputation Rises from 4th to 1st Place
Sheds 'Gapjil' Image, Reborn with Bold Image
Rising Interest Among 1020 Generation... Over 60% New Users on Own App

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Yoon Hong-geun, chairman of BBQ, has reinvented himself as the 'Nation's Favorite Franchise CEO' through the YouTube web variety show 'Nego King.' BBQ itself is also encouraging. Although it poured a total of 10 billion KRW in marketing costs into just one Nego King event, it successfully targeted the millennial generation's sensibilities, creating an opportunity to re-emerge as the hottest brand.

Consumer Reputation 4th → 1st

According to the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute on the 14th, analyzing the 'October Big Data on Consumer Reputation for Chicken Specialty Brands,' BBQ maintained its top position following last month, surpassing Kyochon Chicken in 2nd place and Mom's Touch in 3rd. The brand reputation index, which combines participation index, communication index, and community index, reached 2,638,172. In particular, the brand communication index, which signifies communication with consumers, exceeded 1.31 million, more than double that of the 2nd place.

In the same big data survey conducted in August, BBQ recorded a reputation index of 1,562,887, remaining in 4th place. Although it was among the top three in market share, it did not make the top three in brand reputation. However, after the summer vacation season's 'Nego King event,' it garnered consumers' attention and swiftly claimed the top spot in reputation. Link analysis and keywords such as 'negohada' (to negotiate), 'dolpahada' (to break through), 'gibuhada' (to donate), 'Nego King,' and 'Hwang Kwang-hee' filled the BBQ brand.

The Down-to-Earth and Bold Chairman

The turnaround was created by Yoon Hong-geun, chairman of BBQ. Due to the nature of the franchise industry, Yoon had a strong negative image, but during the chicken price negotiation scene with broadcaster Hwang Kwang-hee, he showed his unique down-to-earth and bold side, changing public perception. The Nego King recording was unscripted, and Yoon accepted Hwang's negotiation proposals without hesitation, showing a hearty attitude that became the turning point. It also drew attention that the headquarters bore the entire marketing cost of 10 billion KRW, rather than sharing the discounted chicken price burden with franchisees. Some raised concerns that this was an event where "the tail is bigger than the belly."

The negotiation scene between Chairman Yoon and Hwang was widely shared, garnering over 5 million views in just 25 days. The event contract included a condition that if 5 million views were achieved, Hwang Kwang-hee would be appointed as a BBQ model, which led to actual filming of Hwang's advertisement, creating another buzz.

From 40s-50s to 10s-20s Brand

BBQ has been a leading chicken franchise in Korea since the 1990s but had an old-fashioned image due to its long history. Therefore, inside BBQ, attention is focused on how the brand image instantly became younger through YouTube, which is preferred by the younger 10s-20s generation.

A BBQ official stated, "Since Nego King, our membership sign-ups have increased by more than 2.5 million, with over 60% of them being from the 10s-20s age group."

The success of Nego King directly translated into sales growth. BBQ reportedly achieved its highest monthly sales ever after the first episode aired. A BBQ official explained, "Order volume through our app increased by 20 to 30 times the usual amount," adding, "There are franchisees who recorded more than double their usual monthly sales."

The new menu item released through Nego King, Maple Butter Garlic Chicken, has become a hit, selling more than 20,000 pieces per day. Over 200,000 pieces have been sold to date.

A BBQ official said, "Although we spent over 10 billion KRW, appearing on Nego King was ultimately a successful project rather than a loss," adding, "We are pleased to have the opportunity to reconnect with consumers who had distanced themselves due to negative incidents over the years."

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