What Do Character Goods Mean in Our Daily Lives?

Do you have favorite characters? We are constantly exposed to diverse characters through media, and popular ones are often featured on diverse products. Now, character goods are used by people of all age groups. According to the 2024 Character Industry White Paper, released by the Korea Creative Content Agency in October 2024, a survey of individuals aged 10 to 69 revealed that 37.6 percent of respondents used character merchandise more than once a week. Meanwhile, 58.1 percent reporting using such merchandise less than once a week. Among the latter group, “once every two to three months” was the most common response at 24.1 percent.

Many companies have used characters as part of their marketing strategies to promote their products and services. However, character marketing has now entered a new era. Companies no longer just use characters to market their products. Rather, the focus has shifted to promoting the characters themselves. They prioritize marketing for characters, leveraging their characters’ popularity to enhance brand perception. This new strategy has become a major trend in the industry.

One key aspect of this trend is the rise of pop-up stores, which sell character merchandise and offer special photo zones for creating cherished memories with the characters. In addition, there is a growing trend of producing secondary character merchandise. For example, transparent bags are made with see-through materials to showcase the characters featured on the merchandise.

Another aspect of this trend is how character goods have seamlessly integrated into our lives. They have become essential elements of social media video and photo production. Recently, short-form video platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels have been introducing travel guides showcasing character goods. Additionally, this character merchandise is making its way into fashion. Among many people, especially young students, character keychains are considered part of their fashion style. These goods are not limited to fashion products. They are also featured on a wide variety of products such as cups, towels, and even tables. Kim Yun-yeong, a student in her 20s who is a fan of character merchandise, said, “I use character goods to express my affection for my favorite characters and to make them feel more tangible. They bring small moments of happiness to my daily life.”

Character goods have become an inseparable part of our daily lives. People are drawn to character goods because they evoke childhood memories. Characters remind us of values and emotions we often forget as we grow older. Their familiar charm appeals to people across generations. Ultimately, this change in consumer behavior has laid the foundation for the new era of “character marketing” to promote consumer goods and fashion.

By Ok Hui-kyeong, Reporter