The Korea Creative Content Agency (acting president Jung Kyung-mi hereinafter KOCCA) and Lotte Mart (CEO Kang Sung-hyun) will open their character shop C★Ream (hereinafter Cream Store) to support the distribution of small and medium content companies starting with ToysRus Jamsil branch on July 28th at the Eunpyeong branch (29th) and Gimpo Airport branch (30th).

▲ Participation of 24 small and medium companies construction of a shoppertainment space various character products and events

Shoppertainment is a compound word of shopping and entertainment which refers to home shopping where experts in each field inform various life information and introduce products that match with them. It refers to a marketing strategy providing not only information about products but also diverse and new experiences and entertaining consumers. Recently in order to recover from the impact of COVID-19 several shopping industries have been introducing shoppertainment products that actively utilize online and offline channels.

Online shoppertainment has began in the mid 2000s when show hosts demonstrated their products on home shopping channels and provided attractions. In order to appeal the characteristics of the product to consumers more realistically show hosts exercises on the fitness equipment and bakes and eats food during home shopping broadcast. The joy of watching such diverse and vivid broadcasts can lead to purchase which is the strategy of shoppertainment. In particular live commerce which allows users to watch home shopping not only in TV but also in mobile environments is diversifying recently. CJ O Shoppings Supermarket and Baemin Shopping Live of Baemin can be representative online shoppertainment.

The Cream Store which is secondly held this year stands for Content of Dream and contains a message that conveys the wants and hopes that content companies and consumers are overcoming COVID-19 together. In addition it is meaningful in that it has made contact with customers by providing sales space to small and medium content companies.

The Cream Store which is operated as a permanent store following last years pop-up store consists of an entertainment space where visitors can enjoy content events as well as purchasing character products. Small and medium content companies and writers participated in the Cream Store who were selected for the Korea Creative Content Agencys New character IP development support project or who participated in the Content IP licensing project.

A total of 24 small and medium-sized content companies (Studio Goindol Inc. Retrobot Co. Coosy Co. Gold Frame Co. Around Effect Co. Atoonz Co. Ltd Yellow Green Co. Coppin Communications G&G Entertainment Co. Studio-Chang co. Carrie Soft Co. Grafizix Co. Design Busan Inc. ARTLicensing Studio Vandal Co. THELSTAR Serom Co. Character link D&P Corporation Co. Brick Studio Co. WoongJang ABL Korea Inc. Heros Entertainment Co. and Creamblue Studio Co.) and their about 200 character products and writers can be found in the store.

Also there are kiosks to identify the consumer preference for the content providing a service that the customers can customize clothes phone cases accessories home&living and stationery using the desired characters through Manggle ; Character Booster app. Along with the individual events of each participating companies various content experience events such as Drawing characters Character coloring Customer label present and Air ball Airball are also prepared. In addition In the future sales will also be made through the Manggle online mall.

▲ Support for small and medium enterprises suffering from COVID-19 through public-private cooperation realization of social values

The KOCCA and Lotte Mart will work to provide distribution test beds for new character IPs which are struggling to secure large retailers through the Cream Store to support small and medium content companies that are struggling with COVID-19 and to create a sustainable character distribution environment that can realize social values through mutual growth of large companies and small and medium content companies.

Jung Kyung-mi acting president of the KOCCA said Due to the prolonged COVID-19 new character IPs and new character companies are struggling to make opportunities to cooperate with large companies as well as to secure offline distribution channels. The Korea Creative Content Agency will actively make effort to create a content industry ecosystem based on ESG management that sets the stage for shared growth of large companies and small and medium content companies.