[Global Funding Tips] Why K-Brands Should Expand Overseas Now

This content is
<GLOBAL Funding Know-How> 
series’ K-Brand episode of the

📝In 3 lines

• Interest in “all things Korean” is higher overseas than ever before.
• If expanding overseas feels daunting, try using a platform to help.
• Crowdfunding can serve as a testing ground to gauge the potential of the global market.

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K-culture is capturing the world’s attention, 
Now is the time to expand globally

Will our product succeed overseas? 

Even though we’ve built a solid fan base domestically, the very idea of expanding overseas can be daunting. 
Many makers find themselves stuck wondering where to start and whether their products will truly resonate overseas. 

But it’s a waste of time to just dwell on these worries. 
That’s because interest in “all things Korean” in overseas markets is higher now than ever before. 

The Korean Wave, which began with K-pop and K-dramas, has now expanded its reach to include people learning Korean, consumers drawn to traditional patterns and designs, 
and locals seeking Korean cuisine—it’s deeply permeating everyday life and personal tastes. 

A tutorial video on traditional games from *Squid Game* has been released on Netflix’s YouTube channel, and related products—such as *gonggi* (Korean marbles), *ddakji* (Korean paper slaps), and *dalgona*—are being sold on overseas platforms like eBay. / Source: Netflix YouTube (left), eBay (right)

For example, as the traditional games featured in *Squid Game* have spread like a trend among the overseas MZ generation, supplies for traditional games such as gonggi, dakkji, and dalgona have emerged as popular bestsellers on global e-commerce platforms like eBay. The same is true for products featuring traditional patterns, such as traditional fans and tiger hats. 

Last year, sales of traditional cultural products reached a record high of 11.9 billion won, signaling that the “Hip+Tradition” trend is gaining full momentum worldwide. 
This marks a time when “realistic possibilities” have opened up for Korean brands to take the global stage.

Expanding overseas— 
where and how should you start?

Source: Unsplash

While the desire to enter overseas markets is strong, when it comes time to actually take action, you’re often stopped in your tracks by countless questions. 

Where should we introduce our products? Which channels are the best fit for our brand? 
And how do we handle international shipping, payments, and customs clearance? There’s a lot to prepare, and there’s the added pressure that a misstep could negatively impact your brand image.

As a result, many makers tend to postpone their overseas expansion, telling themselves, “I’ll do it later when the team gets bigger” or “I’ll do it once I’m better prepared.” 
While they’re confident in their product’s quality and clearly see the potential, the reality is that the preparation steps and processes make the process feel complicated and out of reach.

The biggest reason why expanding overseas feels so difficult
is the burden of having to “handle everything on their own.”

While platforms do help showcase the products, export, shipping, customer service, and marketing are often entirely the brand’s responsibility. 
The global market is undoubtedly attractive, but the resources and risks involved are by no means trivial. 
But what if there were a “platform that helps build the foundation together,” allowing brands to focus on their products and customer feedback when facing the challenge of global expansion? 

Wadiz Global Service is precisely that kind of new opportunity that lowers the barriers to entry for makers. 
We’ve summarized three reasons why brands considering overseas expansion should definitely give wadiz Global Funding a try.

1. It’s okay to write your Story in Korean

Just because it’s global funding doesn’t mean you have to prepare a separate English story from the start. 
On wadiz, AI translates your project story written in Korean into English, and you can then edit the translation yourself. 
You can introduce your brand and products to international customers using your existing product description page, without the hassle of a complicated translation process.

2. Advertising campaigns targeting international customers are also available

The fastest way to showcase your brand to international customers is through advertising. 
Based on its proprietary BizCenter solution, wadiz operates a separate global Meta (social media) advertising service targeting countries outside South Korea. We’re also preparing a new global influencer advertising product to help you achieve high reach ata reasonable cost.

Additionally, while preparing your ad campaigns, AI automatically translates text written in Korean into English. You can review the translation and easily edit it to your liking if necessary, reducing the burden of creating ad content for international audiences.

➡️[Global Advertising Guide] BizCenter Global Launch! Target Ads to Your Desired Countries

3. wadiz Helps with International Shipping, Too

Just like with domestic customers, you can view and download payment information and shipping addresses for international customers in bulk via “Maker Studio,” where you manage your projects. 

Through wadiz’s official international shipping partners, you can not only arrange reliable international shipping at more reasonable prices but also have essential procedures—such as export declarations—handled on your behalf.Even if you’re a maker shipping products tointernational customersfor the first time, everything you need to get started smoothly is already in place.

➡️[International Shipping Guide] How does international shipping work for global projects?

Additionally, when international customers access the wadiz Global service, the available projects, Rewards Details, and currency information are automatically configured based on their location. Without any additional settings, international customers can intuitively browse and participate in projects that suit their needs. 

When brands prepare their projects in Korean, 
wadiz acts as a bridge connecting them to global customers.

Right now, funding is serving as a 
.

The modern hanbok brand “Risl” made its debut at Milan Fashion Week following a wadiz funding campaign / Source: Global Fashion Collective

Many makers have already proven their brands’ potential through wadiz funding and are expanding their influence overseas. “Risl,” well-known as “the hanbok worn by BTS,” built a fan base through wadiz funding and then made its debut at Milan Fashion Week, entering the global market as a modern hanbok brand. 

This is a prime example of a brand first confirming its potential domestically and then using that foundation to take the global stage.

The traditional gochujang brand “Bongsook” (left), which received a positive response on the international funding platform Kickstarter, and “Setoworks” (right), which introduced Korean-style tarot cards / Source: Kickstarter

The potential of K-culture brands is already being proven on overseas funding platforms as well. 
“Bongsook,” which reinterprets traditional gochujang in a modern way, gained traction in the North American market through Kickstarter, while “Seto Works,” which introduced Korean-style tarot cards, was selected for Kickstarter’s “Project We Love” curation and attracted a global fan base.

As such, the unique cultural sensibilities and designs of K-brands are now gaining attention as a new trend in the global market. 
Crowdfunding provides a platform to quickly gauge this response. It hasessentially becomea “test bed for the global market,” allowing brands to verify whether their authenticity resonateswithout having tosecure overseas distribution networksorincur significant costs. 

Are you ready 
?

➡️Click here for the wadiz Global Service Comprehensive Guide

wadiz opened this global testing ground—where brands can test their potential—in May of this year. 
Wadiz Global Service is a new funding environment that supports everything from automatic Story translation to country-specific payment and shipping settings, as well as global advertising. If you’ve been considering expanding overseas, this service can be the first step toward your brand’s leap forward.

Who is the First Global Maker?
We’re looking for makers to join us for this first opportunity in global funding

To celebrate the launch of wadiz’s Global Service, 
we’ve prepared <The First Global Maker> to support your brand’s global debut. 

We plan to offer all of the benefits listed below to makers who apply for <THE First Global Maker>.

• Large-scale free marketing support (prominent placement on wadiz’s main page, 1+1 ad credits, etc.)
• Support for creating detailed English product pages (limited quantity)
• Practical support, including VODs featuring exclusive know-how on global expansion

We welcome everyone—from teams venturing into the global market for the first time to brands that have already built a fan base and are preparing to expand into a wider market. 
Take a step forward onto the global stage today.

If you’re dreaming of taking your brand to the next level, now is the perfect time to start.

➡️ Learn more about <The First Global Maker>

Written by Han Ji-hye| Edited by Oh Seo-young