Laughing Out Loud and Buying Before You Know It, Web Variety Show Commerce on the Rise

Timon's 'Gwanggo Cheonjae Syndrome' Reaches 1 Million Views and 1.2 Billion KRW in Sales in One Month

As online shopping has become a daily routine since COVID-19, 'content' is emerging as a new weapon in the increasingly competitive e-commerce industry. Beyond simply selling products on online malls, companies are communicating with consumers through content, eliciting empathy and participation, and achieving remarkable results. E-commerce company TMON's original web variety show content, which it planned and produced itself, is gaining popularity, and major distribution companies are also focusing on securing diverse content.

According to TMON on the 27th, the original web variety show content "Gwanggo Cheonjae Syndrome" recorded 1 million cumulative views and 1.2 billion KRW in cumulative sales in less than a month since the first episode was released on the 18th of last month. Following the first episode featuring KFC, which recorded 310,000 views, the recently released 5th episode featuring Myeongryunjinsagalbi also attracted over 170,000 viewers in a short period, gaining popularity. Considering that this content, planned as a total of six episodes, has currently released up to the 5th episode, it is generating about 200,000 views and over 200 million KRW in sales per episode.

“Gwanggo Cheonjae Syndrome,” released through the YouTube channel, is a variety show where Jung Joon-ha appears and directly draws and produces corporate promotional flyers, helping customers obtain benefits. The products featured here are sold exclusively on TMON. Customers who form an emotional connection through the content naturally move to TMON’s sales page to receive benefits and make purchases. TMON, which plans to release the final episode of Gwanggo Cheonjae Syndrome this month and conclude Season 1, is preparing for Season 2 next year, buoyed by the high interest and response. A TMON official said, "We plan to continue producing various original content series that deliver information and entertainment to customers."

Not only TMON but also several distribution companies are focusing on building empathy with consumers by leveraging original content. Coupang, for example, is creating an online video streaming service (OTT) that covers various content such as variety shows, dramas, and movies, aiming to increase e-commerce user growth. Industry insiders report that Coupang users have significantly increased as original content on Coupang Play, such as the variety show "SNL Korea" and the drama "One Day" starring Kim Soo-hyun and Cha Seung-won, have become hot topics. According to app analytics service WiseApp, Coupang’s users increased from 23.59 million in August to 24.20 million last month.

Additionally, CU attracted attention by releasing the web variety show "Ssuperman," featuring rapper Defconn. 11st also released the web variety show "Yeolil Sawon," where broadcaster Kangnam works as an intern at 11st, attempting communication with consumers through episodes that arise. GS Retail is strengthening live commerce by operating the live commerce production agency service "Mullae Live."

An e-commerce industry official said, "The e-commerce industry is adopting content as a new competitive weapon for the new era and is presenting a new direction through the hybridization of content and commerce," adding, "Content will become a core competency that determines success or failure in the industry going forward."

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