In the digital market and social media era, one of the most important roles in marketing for brands is done by the millions of online influencers. Korean startup Ice Creative has created a vast network of Korean beauty influencers to make beauty products that resonate with their Korean customers. Ice Creative was started in 2017 by CEO Eunha Kim as a beauty influencer network that works with various beauty influencers to co-create beauty products. Eunha believes that beauty influencers are essential to the beauty industry as they can help break down information to customers through entertainment.

With new products continually making their way in the beauty and lifestyle markets, marketers need influencers as a tool to experience and share their creations on behalf of the customers. The company’s influencer network includes some of the biggest Korean social media names, including Holy, Dayeong, Yiseungin, Yooncharmi, and Serim’s life. 

Increase sales, create content on a single platform

Ice Creative uses its channel to gather feedback from the influencers during the product development stage to create products that resonate with its customers. One such co-brand of the firm is Jellyskin, which was created in collaboration with Dayeong. Jellyskin was launched in March 2020 and sold over 5 000 units within the first month. Following the success, Ice creative restocked another 5000 units of the product for sale by the end of August. The company recently launched its co-brand product sunscreen, created in collaboration with influencer Doenda in June, which promptly sold out. 

Apart from creating beauty products, Ice Creative uses its vast network of influencers to work with other brands on content creation. Some of these brands include Hera, Dior, and Estee Lauder. Eunha Kim, the company CEO, the company has carried out more than 2500 projects for more than 500 advertisers and brands in the last three years. 

Ice Creative’s IP management system

Ice Creative believes influencers’ current role in the beauty and lifestyle markets can’t be replicated or replaced. The company manages influencer’s intellectual property with its IP management system to effectively harness and support its content. Kim believes that managing influencer IP was an essential part of the company’s operations. 

In an interview with Cosmetics Design Asia, Kim said, “Today, within our industry, it’s imperative to have top intellectual properties with influencers’ own identities and manage those IPs, and no other company has a system to manage it.”

The IP management system was crucial to the company to maintain its influencer network. It was designed to add value without hurting each creator’s creativity effectively. Also, the company needed to brand its IP so that it has connections to the business at the same time. 

Expansion plans

The company was one of five companies chosen to participate in Beiersdorf’s exclusive beauty accelerator program, Nivea Accelerator (NX). The company aims to focus on monetizing its branding-oriented activities in the future. Ice Creative also hopes to grow its events department, which organizes the Comet Beauty Festival, the largest consumer and influencer beauty event in Korea. The company plans to expand its identity in other Asian markets by creating more original content, diversifying its distribution network, and collaborating with influencers outside Korea. 

Ice creative is set to launch its Comet Store, an online marketplace that will allow its customers to access its product from anywhere. Given the popularity of Korean culture, music, and beauty worldwide, Kim is sure the company will go international in the near future. by the end of this year. The company is currently expanding its operations internationally. Their primary target is the Chinese and Asian markets, which have a strong need for stories, culture, content, and items from the Korean market. 

Also read, 

• Korean startup Spigen Beauty wants to ‘glam up’ the World with K-beauty products
• Korean startup ZEVAHEALS’ green cosmetics makes skincare safer and natural
• Korean brand Botanicsens creates beauty products that make skin stronger from within
• Korean startup Endo Medics: Acing in the Health & Beauty product line with Ion Stone technology