Disneyization

Even thoughwe may not be able to see obvious Disneyization in South Korea, there are many aspects of Disney that we can spot in the society. Theming and Merchandising are two aspects that can be easily spotted within Korea.

i. Theming

When we talk about theming in Korea, we not only refer to theme parks, but also characteristic restaurants and places of interests that follow a certain theme. Thisaspect of Disneyization can even be seen right from the very start of a tour trip as tourists are able to select specially-themed tours for their vacation trip. Examples of such themed tours include Filming Location tours and Taekwondo tours. When it comes to theme parks, the one that must not be left out is the Everland Carribean Bay, which is an indoor and outdoor water theme park meant to reproduce the Carribean Bayin Latin America. As for theming seen on smaller scales, it is especially evident in the F&B industry where themed cafes such as live music cafes, internet cafes and book cafes are thriving in the community.

(Everland Carribean Bay)

(An advertisement on Everland Carribean Bay)

Theming is important as it attracts niche markets. It is the special and unique feeling it gives off that sells. For example, in Disneyland, the rides are categorized into clusters, forming a theme. In Tokyo Disneyland, the attractions and rides are sorted into different groups, such as Toontown, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Each group attracts visitors of different sorts; Toontown attracts visitors who are interested in seeing original Disney’s characters such as Mickey Mouse, where as Tomorrowland attracts visitors who are more into futuristic settings. In Korea, many different kinds of theming can be found, from small scale to large scale, catering to different groups of people. Theming is a lucrative idea that can be adopted as long as the concept is viable and there is a demand in the market for it.

For more information on themed tours, you can read up here: http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_4_13_1.jsp

Everland Carribean Bay:

http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/caribbean/main.html

Tokyo Disneyland: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdl/index_e.html

ii. Merchandising

It may be difficult to spot merchandising in other countries, but in Korea, the very prominent form of merchandising is the sale of goods of K-Pop idols. The demand for this is not only local, but internationally as well.

Everysing is a Karaoke place opened by the famous S.M.Entertainment (SME), which is a management agency of well-known Korean artistes such as TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee and SNSD. Apart from being a karaoke brand, everysing sells specially manufactured merchandises and goods of SME’s artistes. These merchandises are usually known as character items or character goods. The shop is located in Myeong-dong, which is known as the best tourist-friendly fashion area in the whole of Seoul.

(The everysing shop front)

Although merchandising is only a very small partof Disneyization, it is the component that brings in the cash for the company. In the case of everysing, this is very similar as well. Apart from operational revenue coming from the karaoke and café sections, a considerable big portion comes from the merchandises that are sold. Customers not only come from all around Korea, but also overseas. Everysing is fast becoming a tourist spot for those who are avid fans of the artistes of SME, with character goods in place acting as souvenirs for such visitors.

(SHINee character goods)

(TVXQ character goods)

For those who are interested, you can visit everysing’s official website at: http://www.everysing.com/