Hampartners (CEO Ham Si-won) , a leading PR & Marketing company in Korea, has officially announced its launch as a global communications group that combines AI-based PR and fandom commerce. Hampartners has embarked on a strategic reorganization to strengthen its competitiveness in the global market by acquiring Sky Ventures, a leading digital tech-based content commerce company, and K-Pop Much, a global K-Pop commerce platform, as 100% subsidiaries.
◆ An inevitable leap toward the global market: Data and fandom-centered communication
Hampartners emphasized that strategic communication centered on AI, data, and fandom is key in the rapidly changing global communication environment. They announced that a sustainable communication model that connects “From Data to Fandom” data to fandom will become the new standard for global communication.
In the saturated domestic PR and digital marketing market and the acceleration of overseas expansion of Korean companies, Hampartners plans to secure new growth engines in the global market through AI-based data analysis, fandom-centered platforms, and the convergence of content and commerce. With the incorporation of Sky Ventures and K-Pop Much as 100% subsidiaries, the plan is to complete the vertical integration of data & fandom-based businesses and leap forward to become the center of the data & global fandom economy.
◆ Skyventures (CEO Jinwoong Lee) 4x Growth in 5 Years, Fandom Commerce Innovation Company
Sky Ventures is a rapidly growing company that has built an innovative business model that combines IP content and commerce, and its sales have increased more than fourfold in the five years since its establishment in 2016.
Sky Ventures is a company specializing in YouTube-based IP content planning and production and fandom building. It operates customized YouTube channels utilizing celebrity and brand IPs and commercialized a business model that connects everything from fandom formation to commerce.
In particular, by creating a virtuous cycle of content-fandom-commerce, they are creating unique results that go beyond simple content creation and lead to actual sales through fandom-centered commerce. Representative channels include 'Discount War', 'Subscription King', and 'Jojart', and these channels are positioned as successful models of fandom commerce through a structure in which fans directly consume products.
In addition, Sky Ventures provides a service that analyzes real-time customer data and consumption behavior through its own CX (Customer Experience) tech-based commerce intelligence solution, and performs customized marketing. It is a service that integrates all areas of content planning, fandom formation, channel operation, commerce linkage, product development, and marketing, and has established a structure in which brands and fandoms can continuously and closely interact and grow.
- YouTube-based IP content planning and fandom formation
- Celebrity/Brand IP customized YouTube channel operation
- First commercialization of content-fandom-commerce linkage business model in Korea
- We have CX tech-based commerce intelligence solutions and provide real-time data-based customized marketing services.
In particular, through this merger with the Hampartners Group, we plan to strengthen the system that can execute all stages of 'fandom commerce' in an integrated manner and further expand our capabilities covering the entire fandom economy, from content IP planning to fandom building, distribution, commerce, and global expansion.
Jinwoong Lee, CEO of Sky Ventures, said, “Sky Ventures is a company with differentiated fandom marketing and commerce capabilities that directly connect content, fandom, and commerce, and will play a key role in the fandom commerce strategy of Hampartners Group.” He added, “We will work together to create a new market that connects brands, markets, and global consumers centered on fandom.”
◆ KPOPMERCH (CEO Song Jeong-hyeon)
- Grow 20x as the official commerce platform connecting the global K-POP fandom
KPOPMERCH, the official K-POP goods platform, has grown approximately 20-fold in just four years since its establishment, establishing itself as a platform leading the global K-POP market.
Since its establishment in 2020, K-PopMerch has grown its sales by more than 20 times from KRW 2.2 billion to KRW 46 billion, and currently communicates directly with K-Pop fandoms around the world, processing an average of over 60,000 orders per month in 63 countries. In particular, it has established an unrivaled position in the K-Pop official goods sector by recording the No. 1 market share in Southeast Asia.
K-PopMuch's core competitiveness is global fandom commerce that plans and develops goods based on K-Pop artists and global IPs to provide customized products to fans.
- Data-based country-specific customized strategy: K-Pop Much analyzes accumulated data to analyze fandom size, consumption patterns, and trends, selects countries with high potential for success by IP (artist), and proceeds with customized product planning.
- Planning and developing customized goods for each country: In collaboration with IP holders, we plan limited edition goods that reflect each country's fandom culture and anniversaries, and release optimized products after local market testing.
- Building a global online and offline distribution network: K-PopMuch is creating various touchpoints with global fans through online platforms such as Qoo10 and Rakuten in Japan, Shopee and Lazada in Southeast Asia, Amazon and eBay in North America and Europe, and Naver Smart Store and Coupang in Korea, as well as offline stores such as pop-up stores and flagship stores in each country.
- Fandom-centered marketing and promotion: We are carrying out multi-dimensional marketing activities such as SNS marketing (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, etc.), fan signing events, video call events, and other fan participation marketing in line with fandom trends in each country, collaboration with local influencers and fan communities, limited edition goods reservation sales strategy, and festival and concert linkage strategy.
In addition, we are continuously expanding the experience of meeting fans directly by operating offline stores in major overseas cities and planning and operating more than 20 global pop-up stores. In particular, we have established ourselves as an official platform that guarantees trust and quality to fans through a differentiated fan experience and a fast global logistics system compared to existing platforms such as Withmuu and Ktown4u.
Song Jeong-hyun, CEO of K-PopMuch, said, “We are recognized by global fans as a trustworthy official K-Pop shop and are growing into a representative brand leading innovation in fan experience,” adding, “We will continue to expand as a fan-centered commerce platform in the rapidly growing global K-Pop market.”
◆ Global business strategy through acquisition of Sky Ventures and K-Pop Much
Hampartners Group announced three major business strategies centered on AI-based PR technology advancement, fandom economy and brand communication, and K-CONNECT omnichannel strategy. Through this strategy, we will begin full-scale expansion into a new global business model encompassing AI, fandom, and IP.
▲ AI & Data-driven PR Capabilities
Hampartners will introduce an AI-based PR analysis solution through the acquisition of Sky Ventures and advance AI and data-based PR technology.
We are currently developing an AI-based PR data analysis system, including Sentiment Analysis, Trend Analysis, Crisis Detection, Influence Analysis, and PR Performance Analytics. Through this, we plan to provide a solution that will allow companies and brands to establish PR strategies based on accurate data and comprehensively manage customized content and performance reports generated by AI. The key goals are rapid and efficient PR execution, advanced analysis, and provision of differentiated insights.
▲ Expansion of Fandom Economy
We plan to expand our business centered on the Fandom Economy. In 2025, we plan to collaborate with over 100 K-POP IPs and operate pop-up stores in over 20 countries around the world. In the future, we plan to expand beyond K-POP to collaborations with various global IPs such as sports, global artists, influencers, and characters.
We will also expand the commerce and brand communication areas linked to IP. Brands will be directly connected to fandoms and will be able to secure differentiated marketing opportunities in the global market through IP-based limited edition goods, joint brand campaigns, etc. In addition, we will strengthen fandom and consumer customized marketing through an AI-based global targeting marketing platform, and promote supply chain optimization through an AI-based demand forecasting and inventory management system.
▲ ‘K-CONNECT’ Omnichannel Strategy
Hampartners Group plans to fully promote the 'K-CONNECT' strategy that connects brands, K-POP IP, fandom, and commerce.
We plan to build a marketing and commerce environment that can strategically utilize various channels such as online and offline pop-up stores, official online malls, global e-commerce platforms, social media, and fandom platforms, thereby creating a new market that connects fandoms, brands, and consumers. In addition, based on these omnichannels, we plan to play a central role in spreading Korean companies, brands, and culture around the world.
Hampartners Group has already established local corporations in the US, Thailand, and Indonesia and is currently operating direct sales stores. In the future, it plans to further expand its online and offline channels to provide integrated marketing solutions that promote Korean brands and culture to the global market.
◆ 2030 Global Goal: Sales of 300 billion won, Entry into Global PR Top 20
Hampartners Group has set a clear goal of achieving KRW 300 billion in sales by 2030 and entering the top 20 in the global PR industry. To this end, it plans to build a global communication ecosystem centered on AI, fandom, and commerce and lead the sustainable fandom commerce market. Hampartners CEO Ham Si-won expressed his aspirations, saying, “We will create new value in the global market by building a sustainable business model where fandoms, brands, and markets are organically connected. We will grow into a global communication platform company based on AI, data, and IP.”
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