A video posted on TikTok from last year shows a girl in Texas opening birthday gifts and breaking into tears of joy when she receives her favourite instant ramen: Buldak’s Carbonara. Buldak’s maker, Samyang Foods reacted as soon as the video became viral. A month later, Samyang Foods created another viral moment by delivering Buldak themed party and an enormous supply of Ramen to the girl’s home in a pink custom truck.
Sarah Tang, Samyang America’s marketing director said: “This activation is an example of engaging with our fans.” We try to create a community among our fans, not only advertising. We try to express our gratitude as much they love us.
Samyang Buldak is a real favorite among consumers. Numerator named Buldak the number one brand among Gen Alpha in the U.S., describing it as “a culinary and cultural phenomenon” for those born in 2010 and earlier. Samyang was ranked above brands such as Owala bottles of water, Dr. Squatch shampoo and Fortnite.
This ranking validates the hard work Samyang has put in to become a popular Korean food brand among younger consumers, who are increasingly drawn to spicy foods.
In 2021, the company established its U.S. subsidiary and began to increase brand awareness at major retailers such as Costco and Walmart. By the end 2023 Samyang had less than 10,000 outlets; at the end last year it had more than 22,000 stores. A marketing team was added a little over a year back, and it has been instrumental in turning viral engagement into real-world impact.
Tang explained that “if we had not been able to achieve strong retail extensions, this would have not resulted in the success we’ve seen.” Tang explained that “brands which are popular on social media… It’s difficult to succeed in reality without an omnichannel approach.”
Brand love: How to tap into it
The marketing team at Samyang America is small but agile. This allows the brand to easily tap into viral moments, like that of the Texas girl. It still depends on the South Korea headquarters of Samyang to provide resources for its marketing.
Without their support, it would be impossible to achieve our goals. [the activations] “We are still small,” Tang explained. We work closely together and have a great relationship when it comes to marketing.
Samyang invests in digital in an omnichannel approach that includes a platform owned by the brand that collects feedback from consumers and brand loyalty in one location. Samyang is looking to tap into two growing media channels which continue to merge, including CTV, and to improve its presence on the retail media networks of Walmart, Target, and Kroger.
The company has also adopted experiential marketing. This tactic has been re-embraced after being withdrawn during the peak of the pandemic. Samyang has expanded beyond the instant ramen category by enhancing sampling through in-person activations. Samyang’s “Splash Buldak”, a campaign that featured pop-ups, mascots, and “sauce swap” activations, allowed customers to exchange their old takeout sauce packets in New York or Los Angeles for Buldak Hot Sauce.
Even viral moments that were not so positive, like a girl who loved the Buldak brand, have been made possible by experiential. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration temporarily recalled Buldak in June last year, claiming the capsaicin levels were high and that they could cause harm to consumers. Samyang celebrated the reintroduction of two products in Copenhagen harbor after the ban on them was lifted.
Tang explained that it was an intentional move. We tried to play in an [fun] After a regulatory issue, we want to reaffirm our commitment to you and your business.
