As competition among brands intensifies, particularly in the food-service franchise sector, marketing strategies designed to attract customers immediately are spreading. These include strengthening brand identity through brand naming. Because a brand name is often the first point of contact for consumers, the key to a naming strategy is to leave an intuitive and powerful impression. Yoon In-chul, a professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship at Gwangju University, said, "Customers should be able to immediately determine the price range and the items being sold from the brand name. This also affects brand credibility."
The name Manghyang in Manghyang Bibim Guksu can be interpreted in various ways. It conveys both the idea that customers come in freely and the sentiment of longing for one's hometown. The brand also gained popularity through Jung Woo-sung's eating scene as a North Korean soldier in the film "Steel Rain." Manghyang Bibim Guksu provides vegetable broth and white kimchi through the HACCP-certified Manghyang Food Factory, ensuring the same taste at every location nationwide. By incorporating its signature menu item, bibim guksu, into its brand name, the company immediately communicates its main offering to customers.
Damga Charcoal Grill uses the concept of eating aged meat grilled over a brazier as its brand identity. It serves meat aged for at least seven days using organic rice koji and sea salt. The brand also employs a value-for-money strategy through discounts on first orders and half-price promotions on additional orders.
Jukiyaki was launched with the concept of positioning porridge not as food eaten only when one is sick, but as comforting and filling "everyday Korean food." In 2020, it carried out a major brand renewal and shifted to a premium strategy. Its menu was also expanded to include pot-cooked porridge and nutritious pot rice. A large pot-shaped facade emphasizes the pot-cooking method and conveys the idea that Jukiyaki shares with customers food made even tastier through cooking in a pot.
Gusia Food Market uses the idea of "choosing food as if shopping" as its brand identity. It adheres to an operating model that allows customers to customize a selection of more than 20 food-service items. Gusia Food Market says it focuses on improving meal satisfaction for both students and faculty by proposing customized food-court solutions optimized for small spaces and tailored to each school's characteristics and demand. Another feature is its ability to create complex, high-quality dining experiences in limited spaces through various combinations of directly managed menu items and an efficient operating system.
The settlement program 365 Daily Banking incorporates into its brand name the concept of depositing sales from dining areas and delivery apps directly the next day, 365 days a year, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, without changing the POS system or payment terminals. A 365 Daily Banking representative explained, "By automating royalty collection and settlement processes on a daily basis, we are helping headquarters and franchisees establish a transparent and rapid flow of funds."
Lead Planet, a brand that provides franchise ERP systems, conveys through its name the idea of leading the industry with a franchisee management program for the franchise sector. This summer, it introduced the franchise AI platform LEAD SVI, which combines exceptional cost-effectiveness with high performance.
Professor Yoon said, "Signs, facades and exteriors should serve as information media that customers can immediately understand in front of a store. A store should not make customers think for a long time; it should be one they can understand as quickly as possible."
Reporter Se-hyeong Kim fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
