2023 was another vintage year for #Korea nmovies: With so many great films to choose from, complete your holiday season by watching these great titles…
Start filling up your holiday playlist now – on #Viki! pic.twitter.com/u173QVOkyJ
— Viki (@Viki) December 17, 2023
Viki has managed to penetrate cultural boundaries through its multilingual subtitles, which makes K-Drama easily accessible to different audiences. In an interview with AdRoll, Jay Lee, the company’s growth manager, indicated that strategic marketing was one of the key contributors to this tremendous success.
Viki’s Monumental Rise
The company identifies the right audience and nurtures them with the right content. For example, Lee mentioned that they identified four to five cultural groups in the US as potential consumers and focused on crafting personalized marketing messages for each group, which had remarkable results. The availability of Viki’s app on Android and iOS has also contributed to the widespread penetration of the company.
Many other entertainment companies, like casino companies, have also continued to establish mobile apps that can allow them to offer personalized experiences. For instance, PENN Entertainment partnered with Hollywood Casino at Greektown to develop the Hollywood Online Casino app. With this one app, players can access various games anytime without having to visit a physical location. Mobile apps are also convenient as they allow casino companies to keep players on alert through push notifications, enhancing engagement and retention.
How Viki Engages Audiences
A 2021 Rakuten Advertising report indicated that Viki reached over 27 million people using advertising-video-on-demand (AVOD) services. Of the 27 million, 7 million were Asian, 14 million were Americans, and 6 million were from Europe. AVOD allows customers to enjoy free, ad-funded content, which attracts more customers as they don’t have to pay for the content they access.
As streaming services become more available, many customers are turning to these services. Some statistics project that the video streaming market share will reach $1,902.68 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.3%. With the AVOD platform, content creators can reach the many viewers who are turning from traditional TV content.
The platform also allows Viki to engage customers in a more customized way through contextual targeting. That way, potential customers feel that their preferences are well taken care of, which results in higher conversion rates. During an interview with Martech, Karen Paek, Viki’s Director of Integrated Marketing, indicated that her team’s responsibility was to craft ways of increasing the time spent on the platform by creating customized and segmented journeys for potential customers. That also included messaging viewers in their desired language.
Source: Unsplash
Moreover, although other streaming platforms like Netflix have popularized several Korean shows, Viki has been at the forefront for over a decade. Consequently, the platform hosted its first-ever global K-Drama Day on November 29th, 2023, to celebrate its extensive customer base and reach out to new viewers. The celebration was characterized by dynamic offers such as grand prices that allowed the winner to fly to Korea on an all-expense paid trip. Furthermore, fans could claim a one-day-only 29% discount, allowing access to K-dramas like Suspicious Partner and A Good Day to be a Dog.
In summary, Viki’s strategic marketing tactics have significantly contributed to the popularity of K-Drama in different continents. As technological advancements continue shaping how businesses interact with consumers, Viki stands a great chance to penetrate even more cultural boundaries.
