[Distribution Hot People] Can Highball and Sulbing Makgeolli Hit Big Success in a Row... "The Secret to Success is the MZ Perspective"

Jang Juhyun Homeplus Chaju-ryu Team MD Interview

Earl Grey & Lemon Tonic Highball Sold Out... Relaunch Scheduled for End of Next Month
Aiming to Become a Steady Seller... "We Will Develop Irreplaceable Products"

Jang Juhyun, Product Planner of the Liquor Team at Homeplus.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] "As one of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) who enjoy drinking, I believe that approaching from the consumer's perspective is the key to the success of canned highballs, Sulbing, and Honey Butter Almond Makgeolli."

On the afternoon of the 21st, Jang Juhyun, product planner (MD) of the alcoholic beverage team, whom we met at the Homeplus headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, said this in an interview with Asia Economy.

The Earl Grey Lemon Tonic Highball sold out all initial stock within about a month of its launch, and it is scheduled to be re-released at the end of next month with an easy-cut can design incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values.

MD Jang explained, "I remembered worrying about glass bottle whiskey breaking when going on a picnic by the Han River, and seeing the popularity of Earl Grey highball recipes on TV made me think 'this is it.' Highballs require purchasing whiskey and soda water separately and mixing them, which is inconvenient, so I thought a precisely measured canned product would be convenient."

Sulbing Injeolmi Makgeolli ranks first in cumulative sales volume and revenue among all makgeolli products. MD Jang emphasized, "Suddenly, Sulbing's signature menu, Injeolmi Bingsu, came to mind. As the saying goes, 'the most frightening thing is a familiar taste,' the key to its popularity is making the taste naturally imagined in the customer's mind."

Honey Butter Almond Makgeolli has also received a good response since its launch. MD Jang said, "At first, I wondered about peanut snacks, but it didn't quite resonate. Then, I noticed the bag of BAF almonds that I used to eat as a snack at home," adding, "We paid a lot of attention to perfectly replicating the sweet and savory taste to deliver the best flavor."

MD Jang's ultimate goal is to create steady-selling products. He expressed, "There is a saying that tigers leave their skins, and MDs leave their products," and added, "I want to develop irreplaceable products like Choco Pie and Binggrae Banana Milk."

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