Korean products have raised their image by shifting from low-end mass products to high-tech premium products. In the overseas markets Korea was once perceived as a country of labor disputes and widespread corruption, where political intervention in corporate management was common. But, today the enhanced quality of Korean products has improved the image of the country, which in turn has given Korean products an edge over products from other countries.
Many governments throughout the world have been consistently trying to enhance the image of their sovereign national brands. According to US-based brand consultancy, Interbrand, the economic benefits of consistent and professional country branding are quite widespread. There is a correlation between the national image and the image of the products produced by a country. When a nation builds an attractive brand, it gives businesses operating out of that country an advantage over the others.
Korean companies are making huge investments in brand management, product development and customer service improvement. The enhanced quality of products produced has played a major role in carving out a secure niche for Korean products in the overseas markets. Korean products are now popular among the high and middle class homes in India. They have achieved tremendous growth in the Indian market, because Indians have become fond of Korean products, ranging from technical gadgets to home appliances and from cellphones to fascinating cars.
If we see the Korean culture from a wider perspective, "Nothing is impossible for the Koreans" seems to be the guiding philosophy behind the country's success. Professor RR Krishnan, a Korean expert at the Center for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, appraises the performance of the Koreans in India through the filter of social anthropology. According to him, "If you look at their history, you will find a brutal colonial occupation, an artificial division of the country and extreme poverty. |
