HiteJinro "3rd Year Since Launch, 'Jinro' Aims to Grow as Flagship Brand"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Jinro, which sparked the toad craze, has marked its 2nd anniversary since launch.

HiteJinro announced on the 21st that Jinro, which reinterprets the original 'Jinro' with a newtro (new + retro) concept reviving the 1970s design, has reached its 2nd anniversary since launch.

Launched in April 2019, Jinro sparked a nationwide toad craze with the response from the younger generation. It captivated young consumers not only with its package reinterpreted with a modern sensibility but also with a clean throat feel and taste preferred by the younger generation. It is also regarded as having succeeded in creating early buzz by introducing character marketing using the toad for the first time in the soju industry.

Jinro surpassed 100 million bottles sold within 7 months of launch and recorded cumulative sales of 650 million bottles as of April. Despite difficulties caused by COVID-19 last year, it maintained its growth trend, with sales increasing by 200% compared to the previous year. Home-use products increased by 360% year-on-year, and entertainment-use products also increased by 143% last year.

HiteJinro cited the toad character marketing as one of the success factors of Jinro. It is analyzed that various collaborations using the toad character drew positive responses from the MZ (Millennial + Gen Z) generation. Products collaborated with convenience stores such as jelly, potato chips, tteokbokki, and macarons continue to rank high in sales within their respective categories.

Also, by opening 'Dukkeop Sanghoe,' the country's first liquor character shop in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, they expanded consumer touchpoints. Dukkeop Sanghoe, which has expanded nationwide, is currently operating in Gwangju following Busan and Daegu.

HiteJinro plans to further expand Jinro's presence as it enters its 3rd year since launch. To this end, they will actively carry out character marketing activities. Their strategy is to expand the character's activity areas and provide consumers with diverse brand experiences to grow into a brand that represents the era.

Seongtaek Oh, Executive Director of Marketing at HiteJinro, said, "We thank all consumers who have loved Jinro and the toad," adding, "In the 3rd year since launch, we will firmly establish Jinro as a representative soju brand alongside Chamisul through differentiated marketing activities that only Jinro can do."

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