Beauty

The Fundamentals of Branding According to Kift, Which Started with Minimal Capital and Raised 800 Million Won in Cumulative Funding

Important

와디즈

2026.05.13

It’s easy to assume that the narrower the target audience, the weaker the message—but Kift proved the opposite. The brand created by envisioning one very specific person generated the strongest emotional connection.
Multi-functional products are known to be difficult to market in the cosmetics industry. When a product has many functions, the message becomes diluted, and consumers tend to suspect, “If it does all this, it must be lacking in some way.” Kift overcame this limitation through its content strategy.
They demonstrated that the process of planning content, gauging customer reactions, running ads, and learning how to better explain a product’s strengths and weaknesses—the very fundamentals essential for running a brand—can be acquired through funding.

KIFT, a skincare brand founded by Ha Seul-gi—a working mom with 14 years of experience in the beauty industry—originally aimed to export its products. However, while waiting for export certification , she launched a funding campaign “because she couldn’t just sit around,” and that ended up completely changing the brand’s entire strategy.

Ha Seul-gi, CEO of Kift, met her first customers on wadiz, refined her products based on their feedback, and raised cumulative funding of 800 million won. There are three key takeawaysfrom her story in this interview. First, that narrow targeting actually generates strong empathy; second, that instead of listing features, you should sell the changes customers will experience; and third, that openly sharing failures can actually help you gain fans. This interview contains insights that any brand just starting out should consider.

Why I Started with Korean Funding Even Though I Was Preparing to Export

Q. Hello! Please introduce yourself.

Hello. I’m Ha Seul-gi, a working mom building Kift, an all-in-one skincare brand that helps people like me stay true to themselves even amid busy daily lives.

Q. I’m curious about what led you to start your business.

Since starting my career, I’ve experienced all the major life changes—marriage, childbirth, and parenting—while working in the beauty industry. After having a child, my life really did turn 180 degrees. Even though I spent every day making and selling cosmetics, I didn’t have time to apply proper skincare products to my own face. Watching myself change so rapidly, I began to think it would be wonderful to have cosmetics designed for moms like me, and that desire ultimately became the foundation for KIFT.

Q. I heard you aimed for export from the very beginning.

Yes, many people are surprised to hear this, but Gift was actually a brand created with exports in mind from the very beginning. Since we started with limited capital, during the time it took to finalize the product and wait for export certification, I wanted to take on a challenge rather than just sit idle—and that’s when we launched our crowdfunding campaign. In business, time really is money.

Fortunately, we achieved our target results right from our first funding campaign, and that led us to change our strategy. We shifted our focus to first establishing a solid track record in the Korean market—where I understand the dynamics best—and then expanding overseas.. wadiz was a platform where a small brand could connect directly with customers, receive diverse feedback, and co-create both the product and the brand. Thanks to that process, we’ve now built up a product lineup that allows us to confidently call ourselves a “brand.”

We targeted “moms who don’t even have time to put on makeup.”

Q. I was impressed that Kift was a brand with a very specific target audience right from the start. I wanted to ask what kind of brand you wanted to create.

To be honest, I didn’t start out thinking, “I have to create a super famous brand.” I was more driven by the desire to create products that would help moms like me—I knew there were definitely others out there just like me.

Of course, as you run a brand, results are important, but more than that, I wanted to make the lives of the people who trust and use our products just a little bit easier and better.

In fact, one of our supporters wrote in a review, “I’m undergoing cancer treatment, and juggling that with parenting is so hard, but this product is so convenient to use. I’m satisfied because people tell me I look healthy even though I’m sick.” Every time I receive feedback like that, I feel like I’ve already achieved half of the success I originally dreamed of.

Q. Since this is a skincare product, did your focus on the keyword “sound sleep” also stem from this target audience?

This might be something that’s hard to relate to unless you’ve personally experienced childbirth and parenting. I used to work very long hours even when I was employed, but the sleep deprivation back then was completely different from what I experience while raising a child. When you can’t sleep because of work, you can still make time to catch up on sleep, but that wasn’t the case with the sleep deprivation that comes with raising a child—especially when juggling both work and parenting. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve had a solid sleep of more than four hours in quite a while.

It’s practically a given that when you don’t sleep, your face looks dull and tired. So I actually wanted to try addressing that issue with skincare products. Even if I couldn’t actually help me sleep better, couldn’t I at least make my skin look like I’d had a good night’s rest? That’s exactly what led to the keyword “deep sleep effect.” I thought our supporters would definitely relate to this reality as well.

I focused on convincing people not by saying “it’s packed with ingredients,” but by explaining “why one product is enough.”

Q. In your Story, you explained complex ingredients in such an accessible way using metaphors like rice, a chef, and a bowl of rice.

The supporters we meet on wadiz are truly diverse. Some are older than my own mother, while others are much younger than me.

That’s why I believe it’s crucial to create content that anyone can easily understand.While I stillhave a lot to learn, that’s exactly what I focus on most when planning products and crafting the Story. Including high-quality ingredients is important, but in language that anyone can understand is also part of the brand’s role.

Q. It’s well-known that the cosmetics industry struggles to market the various functions of multi-functional products. Is there any particular aspect you focused on to explain the product effectively?

Rather than simply highlighting that “it contains many ingredients,” we focused more on explaining “why this single product is sufficient.” Rather than simply listing features, we aimed to convey the actual changes and convenience users would experience when using the product. We also built trust by presenting real user reviews alongside clinical data. Ultimately, we believed that for multi-functional products, convincing users through evidence is more important than mere words.

Q. It was also impressive that you uploaded “Failure Collection.zip” in your News section. It was very honest content—was there a specific reason you decided to share these “failures”?

I believe even luxury cosmetics sold in department stores for 1 million won have their drawbacks. Everyone’s skin is different—how could we possibly create a product that works perfectly for everyone? I believe the key isn’t that a product has no flaws, but rather how honestly you communicate those aspects to customers.

Rather than just showing the good results, I wanted to share the choices I made and even the aspects I boldly decided to let go of. I felt that the people who empathize with that process ultimately become true fans and stay with us for the long haul.. We don’t want to be a brand focused solely on short-term sales; we want to be a brand that walks alongside our supporters for the long haul.

The funding process itself was an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of brand management

I believe wadiz is an important milestone that every emerging beauty brand should experience at least once. There aren’t many platforms that give both unknown and well-established brands an equal opportunity to start from the same starting line, and wadiz is truly special in that regard.

Of course, not every project is a success, and you may experience failure or losses.Nevertheless,I believe the process ofplanning content, gauging customer reactions, running ads, andlearninghow to better explain a product’s strengths and weaknessesis essential to building a brand.Through wadiz,I, too, gained the strength to move forward by practicing and improving many things in a short period of time.

Going forward, Kift aims to grow as a brand for those who tend to put themselves last amidst their busy daily lives. Together with the supporters who were with us from the very beginning, we will continue to create easier and better skincare solutions.

Listening to Maker Ha Seul-gi’s story, I can’t help but think that what truly matters when promoting a brand isn’t “what you’ve created,” but rather the depth of your consideration for “whose day you’re changing.”

Maker Ha Seul-gi explained that she chose to run her funding campaign on wadiz because it brings together supporters who recognize the true value of a product—rather than focusing on superficial elements like brand fame or attractive packaging.

Wadiz is building a platform where anyone can request funding, free from the familiar limitations and constraints of the industry.

If you’re preparing for a new challenge right now, why not start on wadiz?

📌 Want to read more maker stories?

New to wadiz? Get a 30% discount on fees to ensure the success of your first funding campaign

0% commission, translation, and shipping fees / Check out the Global Zero Pass promotion

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Beauty

The Fundamentals of Branding According to Kift, Which Started with Minimal Capital and Raised 800 Million Won in Cumulative Funding

Important

와디즈

2026.05.13

It’s easy to assume that the narrower the target audience, the weaker the message—but Kift proved the opposite. The brand created by envisioning one very specific person generated the strongest emotional connection.
Multi-functional products are known to be difficult to market in the cosmetics industry. When a product has many functions, the message becomes diluted, and consumers tend to suspect, “If it does all this, it must be lacking in some way.” Kift overcame this limitation through its content strategy.
They demonstrated that the process of planning content, gauging customer reactions, running ads, and learning how to better explain a product’s strengths and weaknesses—the very fundamentals essential for running a brand—can be acquired through funding.

Why I Started with Korean Funding Even Though I Was Preparing to Export

Q. Hello! Please introduce yourself.

Hello. I’m Ha Seul-gi, a working mom building Kift, an all-in-one skincare brand that helps people like me stay true to themselves even amid busy daily lives.

Q. I’m curious about what led you to start your business.

Q. I heard you aimed for export from the very beginning.

We targeted “moms who don’t even have time to put on makeup.”

Q. I was impressed that Kift was a brand with a very specific target audience right from the start. I wanted to ask what kind of brand you wanted to create.

Of course, as you run a brand, results are important, but more than that, I wanted to make the lives of the people who trust and use our products just a little bit easier and better.

Q. Since this is a skincare product, did your focus on the keyword “sound sleep” also stem from this target audience?

I focused on convincing people not by saying “it’s packed with ingredients,” but by explaining “why one product is enough.”

Q. In your Story, you explained complex ingredients in such an accessible way using metaphors like rice, a chef, and a bowl of rice.

The supporters we meet on wadiz are truly diverse. Some are older than my own mother, while others are much younger than me.

Q. It’s well-known that the cosmetics industry struggles to market the various functions of multi-functional products. Is there any particular aspect you focused on to explain the product effectively?

Q. It was also impressive that you uploaded “Failure Collection.zip” in your News section. It was very honest content—was there a specific reason you decided to share these “failures”?

The funding process itself was an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of brand management

Wadiz is building a platform where anyone can request funding, free from the familiar limitations and constraints of the industry.

If you’re preparing for a new challenge right now, why not start on wadiz?

📌 Want to read more maker stories?

New to wadiz? Get a 30% discount on fees to ensure the success of your first funding campaign

0% commission, translation, and shipping fees / Check out the Global Zero Pass promotion

There's no previous post.

There's no next post.

The Fundamentals of Branding According to Kift, Which Started with Minimal Capital and Raised 800 Million Won in Cumulative Funding

Don’t forget to check this out!

Why I Started with Korean Funding Even Though I Was Preparing to Export

Q. Hello! Please introduce yourself.

Q. I’m curious about what led you to start your business.

Q. I heard you aimed for export from the very beginning.

We targeted “moms who don’t even have time to put on makeup.”

Q. I was impressed that Kift was a brand with a very specific target audience right from the start. I wanted to ask what kind of brand you wanted to create.

Q. Since this is a skincare product, did your focus on the keyword “sound sleep” also stem from this target audience?

I focused on convincing people not by saying “it’s packed with ingredients,” but by explaining “why one product is enough.”

Q. In your Story, you explained complex ingredients in such an accessible way using metaphors like rice, a chef, and a bowl of rice.

Q. It’s well-known that the cosmetics industry struggles to market the various functions of multi-functional products. Is there any particular aspect you focused on to explain the product effectively?

Q. It was also impressive that you uploaded “Failure Collection.zip” in your News section. It was very honest content—was there a specific reason you decided to share these “failures”?

The funding process itself was an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of brand management

The Fundamentals of Branding According to Kift, Which Started with Minimal Capital and Raised 800 Million Won in Cumulative Funding

Don’t forget to check this out!

Why I Started with Korean Funding Even Though I Was Preparing to Export

Q. Hello! Please introduce yourself.

Q. I’m curious about what led you to start your business.

Q. I heard you aimed for export from the very beginning.

We targeted “moms who don’t even have time to put on makeup.”

Q. I was impressed that Kift was a brand with a very specific target audience right from the start. I wanted to ask what kind of brand you wanted to create.

Q. Since this is a skincare product, did your focus on the keyword “sound sleep” also stem from this target audience?

I focused on convincing people not by saying “it’s packed with ingredients,” but by explaining “why one product is enough.”

Q. In your Story, you explained complex ingredients in such an accessible way using metaphors like rice, a chef, and a bowl of rice.

Q. It’s well-known that the cosmetics industry struggles to market the various functions of multi-functional products. Is there any particular aspect you focused on to explain the product effectively?

Q. It was also impressive that you uploaded “Failure Collection.zip” in your News section. It was very honest content—was there a specific reason you decided to share these “failures”?

The funding process itself was an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of brand management