[Diary] Stationery Products Facing Discontinuation Revived Through Funding
#18
Luka Lab Maker’s
Diary Funding Campaign Was a Success.
3-Line Summary
- Luka Lab is a brand specializing in stationery products and IP merchandise. To revive “PlanDer,” its flagship product whose sales had been gradually declining, the company launched a wadiz funding campaign.
- “PlanDer,” a combination of a planner and a calendar, has been loved by office workers and expectant mothers who need to manage their schedules and keep records simultaneously, raising over 100 million won in cumulative funding as supporters.
- Selected as a wadiz NEXT BRAND, the company has received comprehensive support and is creating various IP merchandise while gathering insights to ensure the success of its funding campaign.
PART 1. Luca Lab’s Growth in the Stationery Market
Luka Lab: Building a Diverse Portfolio Over 15 Years
Luka Lab CEO Ahn Hee-ra and the flagship product, “Flander”
Q. Hello. Could you please introduce Luca Lab and yourself as a maker?
Hello. I’m An Hee-ra, CEO of Luca Lab . Luca Lab is a design stationery brand with 15 years of experience. We’re currently expanding into a company specializing in merchandise based on IPs from the character and content industries (e.g., Care Bears, Mashimaro, Cookie Run, Kingderland).We design and produce merchandise that’s both charming enoughto collectand practical, tailored to the diverse needs and trends of our consumers.
Products with diverse concepts released by Luca Lab
Q. I’m curious about the secret to sustaining your business for 15 years in the stationery market by developing products that meet diverse needs.
Many of Luca Lab’s employees are young and trend-savvy—in other words, they are closely aligned with our customer base. That’s why we strive to foster a company culture that respects the direction our team members want to take and encourages horizontal communication.We hold weekly meetings where allemployees gather to review design concepts and exchange comments.
Additionally, to allow each person to express their individuality, we follow a “one person, one project” principle, where a single designer takes full responsibility for a product—from planning to development. I believe these efforts are what allow Luca Lab to stay current with trends and continue developing diverse products without ever becoming outdated.
PART 2. Our First Funding Campaign, 9 Years After Launch
PlanDer: Overcoming the Threat of Discontinuation and Reborn on wadiz
“PlanDer,” a combination of a desk calendar and a weekly planner / Inspired by an iPad stand, it can be used as a diary during meetings and as a desk calendar on your desk.
Q. When people think of Luca Lab’s flagship product, “PlanDer” is the first thing that comes to mind. How did you come to develop PlanDer?
Ten years ago, a B2B promotional product manager made comments about developing a new type of calendar. Hearing that, I suddenly recalled a frustration I’d experienced while working. I remember the hassle of having to transcribe notes from my planner into a separate calendar every time I went into a meeting. I thought it would be great to have a product that solved this problem, so I started brainstorming. That’s howI came up with the idea of combining a planner and a calendar into one product. The design was inspired by an iPad stand. Initially, we developed the product for B2B distribution.
But once it was made, I realized it was a product unlike anything else on the market, so I thought it might sell well even if we launched it as a B2C product. We immediately produced 2,000 units and sold them at Kyobo Bookstore’s Hot Tracks, where they sold out completely. That’s when I knew for sure there was a market for it. “PlanDer” is a product we’re grateful for—it helped Luca Lab make a full-fledged entry into the calendar and planner market.
Q. You launched a wadiz funding campaign in the ninth year since Flander’s release. What prompted you to do that?
I decided to give it a try because I felt wadiz had a large target audience that would be interested in Flander, and it was a platform where we could clearly showcase Flander’s strengths.
In fact, Luca Lab had already established significant brand recognition in the stationery market and was loved by many people. However, since Flander was a product launched a long time ago, sales through our existing channels had been gradually declining recently—to the point where we were even considering discontinuing it.
These days, the main customer base for online and offline stationery stores (e.g., Ten by Ten, Hot Tracks, Artbox) seems to be teens and people in their early to mid-20s, which doesn’t align with the target audience that typically takes an interest in Flander (e.g., office workers, expectant mothers). On the other hand, Wadiz has supporters across a wide range of age groups,, so I felt it was a platform where Flander could easily gain attention.
A review of Luca Lab’s Flander left by a pregnant supporter
Also, since functionality is the core of Flander, I’d always felt frustrated that it wasn’t easy to draw attention to or highlight its strengths when selling through offline stores or general online marketplaces. However, on wadiz, I heard that supporters spend over 6 minutes on product pages. I realized that if supportersread the Story carefully,we could highlight Flander’s strengths and be rewarded for our efforts. Fortunately, our first funding campaign led to great results, and we saw a significant increase in new customers. Thanks to the success of our wadiz funding campaign, Flander was able to get a fresh start.
Q. What was it like when you launched a seasonal product—which typically sees high sales at the end of the year—on wadiz?
Seasonal products usually have fixed launch windows. For diaries, that’s September and October. During that period, many companies compete simultaneously. Funding, on the other hand, has the advantage of allowing us to unveil products earlier, which helps us attract more intense attention.
Also, with diaries, once production is complete, you usually have no choice but to wait for them to sell within a set timeframe. With wadiz, however, you can launch a project even while the product is still in development—even if it’s not 100% complete—which allows you to gauge supporter reactions in advance. This enables you toincorporate feedback in real time and, at the same time, forecast demand, I thought it was the ideal platform.
Q. The 2023 Planter project raised approximately 50 million won. What do you think were the key factors that led to this success?
Since Flander is a new type of product that combines a planner and a calendar, I think many wadiz supporters took an interest in it. During the notification sign-up period, we discussed with the PD and ran Meta ads, which proved to be very effective. The project gained widespread exposure, and the high advertising efficiency translated into a large number of notification sign-ups. Ultimately, I believe many supporters participated in the funding because the project’s Story resonated with their needs.
The Funding Story That Most Clearly Captures Flander’s Unique Value
Q. I heard you wrote the PlanDer project story in-house.
At Luca Lab, we form a Task Force Team (TFT) by selecting members from various departments to manage projects. The Flander project was no exception; a total of four people—the assigned MD, a designer, a member of the online content team, and a producer—served as project leads. The designer and MD planned and developed the Flander product, and the production manager brought it to life. Afterward, the MD team shared the key selling points and production process with the online content team, who then handled everything from filming to design for the story. The story was created through this collaboration among staff from various departments. Of course, the wadiz project director also actively provided comments, which helped us finalize the story.
Excerpt from the Luca Lab Funding Story
Q. What kind of comments did the PD provide?
They offered comments on the project title, which was incredibly helpful. They advised us on which of Flander’s strengths to emphasize and suggested that mentioning specific numbers would be effective, allowing us to craft a title that would capture supporters’ attention.
I also received a lot of help with the story layout. Originally, I planned to add reviews from past projects at the bottom of the story. However, after hearing the PD’s comments, I moved the reviews to the top of the story. I think supporters encountering the Flander project for the first time felt a sense of trust and became more engaged with the story after seeing positive reviews right at the top.
Since we at Luca Lab had primarily created standard e-commerce product detail pages, we weren’t used to crafting stories that would stand out on wadiz. Thanks to the PD, we were able to create a successful story. I feel that the story we created to introduce Flander on wadiz highlighted Flander’s strengths more clearly than any product detail page ever has, so we’re gradually adapting the wadiz story for use on our own online store and other shopping platforms.
Q. I’m curious about what specific aspects you focused on when writing the Story to fully capture Flander’s strengths.
This year, Flander underwent its first major improvement in 10 years. I aimed to highlight in the Story how it differed from last year’s Rewards, and I made an effort to showcase its reduced weight. Since the rest of the basic specifications were similar to last year’s, I used reviews from customers who’ve been using Flander annually to build empathy and trust. Next year, I plan to meticulously incorporate the feedback received from this year’s project into the product to improve quality, and I’ll emphasize these improvements in the Story.
wadiz supporters who cheer on the brand until the very end
Q. I understand there were quality issues with this year’s project and that you’re currently addressing them.
That’s right. I continue to feel both grateful and sorry. We had earned the trust of many people regarding our quality and design, but an incident occurred. I review the feedback daily and am doing my best to resolve issues quickly from the supporters’ perspective.
I imagine you must be upset about receiving defective products, but surprisingly, many supporters have expressed empathy and cheer—thanking us for our quick response and telling us to keep up the good work.I was truly grateful—so much so that I wondered if I even deservedsuch kindwords.Also, while we’re still working day and night to identify the cause, one supporter who received a defective product took the time to meticulously analyze the issue into seven categories and shared their detailed insights with us. We’re so grateful they took the time to provide such thorough comments. Whether it’s those cheering us on or those offering constructive criticism, it’s made us even more eager to quickly repay the trust of everyone who chose us.
Luka Lab’s news on our efforts to quickly address the defective product issue
Q. You must have spent a long time preparing for the Flander project, so I imagine you’re deeply disappointed.
Over the past 10 years of producing Flander, we’ve always relied on the fact that the inner pages turned out well, so we focused more on adjusting and inspecting the cover color and quality rather than the inner pages—and that’s likely where the problem arose. We’re truly sorry and disappointed that we didn’t scrutinize the inner pages closely enough and failed to address the issue before our supporters received their copies.
Although we used the same paper weight and material as last year, the overwhelming comments that the text was showing through strongly suggest there was an issue with the paper quality. Of course, we’re currently investigating the cause from various angles. For now, our entire team is working hard to deliver newly produced products as quickly as possible—in time for the New Year—to those who have requested exchanges. We pledge to all of you who love Flander and cheer us that we will pay even closer attention next year to ensure we deliver high-quality Flander products.
PART 3. Envisioning a Future Beyond Funding
NEXT BRAND: Providing Comprehensive Support for Makers’ Growth
Q. What prompted you to apply for wadiz NEXT BRAND*?
We applied because we saw it as an opportunity to form a partnership with wadiz and experiment with a variety of IP merchandise.We learned through the wadiz Partners investment team thatwadizhas an in-house IP Creator team.As I mentioned earlier, we’re currently focusing on IP, and since wadiz is looking for makers like us, we thought it would be a great opportunity for both sides.
* Wadiz NEXT BRAND: A program that provides makers with access to wadiz’s diverse infrastructure benefits and financial support to foster their sustained growth
Learn more about wadiz NEXT BRAND (click)
Q. I’m curious about the benefits Luca Lab has received since being selected for NEXT BRAND.
We’re receiving such comprehensive support that I sometimes wonder if they really need to go this far (laughs). First of all, just as we’d hoped, we’re collaboratingextensively with the IP Creator team. We ’ve produced merchandise for the Mabinogi humidifier, as well as pajamas featuring the beloved national rabbit Benni, the drama *King the Land*, and the web novel *A Lighthouse in the Dark Sea*.
We also received a lot of information to help us make the most of wadiz. Whenever we had questions, they kindly explained things to us and provided many advertising recommendations tailored to Luca Lab’s projects . We were especially grateful for their support in performance marketing—an area where we were lacking—such as running large-scale Meta ad campaigns on our own.
“Maker Center”: A one-stop hub for wadiz funding workshops, success stories, and project know-how
Q. Could you share Luca Lab’s selection know-how with makers aiming to join wadiz NEXT BRAND?
First, it’s important to communicate closely with your wadiz account manager and build a track record of successful funding by utilizing the various wadiz channels available to makers (e.g., wadiz School, Maker Center). We actively communicated with the account manager* we were assigned through the wadiz pricing plan and brainstormed ways to effectively showcase our Rewards to a large number of supporters. That’s what led to the project’s success.
Additionally, during the NEXT BRAND review process, you must be able to present your company’s roadmap with objective data and demonstrate the ability to execute on that plan. To transition into an IP-specialized company, we created a company profile and IR materials based on our discussions with the wadiz account manager. We also demonstrated our execution capabilities by proceeding exactly as outlined in those materials. We considered what kind of synergy a partnership between wadiz and our brand could create and emphasized a path toward mutual growth. If you have a track record of successful funding, maintain objectivity, and prepare thoroughly, you’ll have a good chance of being selected for the NEXT BRAND program.
Q. To what kind of makers would you recommend applying for wadiz NEXT BRAND?
Honestly, I think it would be great if every maker in the world could receive this support (laughs). I really feel that wadiz is in tune with current consumer trends. You can actively communicate with supporters, and even if you have few social media followers or aren’t sure how to engage with customers, if you have a unique product, wadiz is the place where you can reach a wide audience. And if you’re selected for the NEXT BRAND program, you’ll be able to get a variety of information and support from wadiz’s internal team, which will really give your campaign a boost on the path to a successful funding campaign.
Try your hand at wadiz funding—you can succeed with just one core product!
Q. I’m curious about the current trends in the stationery market, as seen by Luca Lab.
The stationery market is changing very rapidly. Individual tastes are becoming more diverse, and as a result, the consumer base is becoming increasingly segmented. I also think that “who made it, why, and how” are important trends. That’s why, as we plan our new products for next year, we’re preparing to further segment our target consumers and develop sophisticated stationery items tailored to their tastes. With quality and design as a given, I believe products that embody value and sincerity will be popular.
Q. Could you also tell us about Luca Lab’s future plans or goals?
Moving forward, Luca Lab aims to solidify its position as a company specializing in IP merchandise.We recently launched a toothbrush holder featuringour original IP, Luca Bear, and we’re preparing a variety of other products as well. Additionally, we plan to rebrand our in-house IP line, “Scrap the Moment,” as “S the Moment” and expand into the home goods, miscellaneous goods, and fashion sectors.
Another goal is to become a brand that guarantees the quality of the various stationery brands under Luca Lab . Starting this year, products manufactured by Luca Lab will be shipped with an official Luca Lab sticker, similar to a genuine product certification mark. We want to instill trust in consumers so they can purchase with confidence knowing it’s from Luca Lab.
For the 2023 Plan, we’ve structured the Rewards with varying numbers and compositions, applying different discount rates to create options for individuals, gifts for friends or partners, family gifts, and group gifts.
Q. Finally, could you offer some advice to those preparing a stationery funding campaign on wadiz?
I recommend focusing on a single product to enhance its quality and preparing a Rewards package that includes only the essentials. The Flander project also features just one product—Flander—but we structured the Rewards by varying the quantity and discount rates.
I think supporters appreciated it because it was simple and hassle-free. I’d encourage you to think about storytelling centered around a single core product.
Want to read more articles about [Stationery Funding]?
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Interviewee Written by CEO Ahn Hee-ra, Edited by Nam Hyun-sol and Han Ji-hye