Focusing on Cameras
Global information and communication technology (ICT) companies set their sights on videos and cameras that can shoot videos. This fact is construed as a strategy for those of a 'new consumer generation' who have been familiar with videos rather than texts or photos while using smartphones from their childhood days.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 announced on February 26 is a product showing that the smartphone camera will determine the future of the smartphone industry. Samsung Electronics introduced the first dual iris diaphragm to enable users to better take pictures in the dark, and added a super slow motion function which takes hundreds of pictures per second and show them in a slows motion.
In addition, Samsung loaded the new smartphone with an augmented reality (AR) function so that consumers can use the camera to communicate and have fun. That is none other than a '3D emotion' function that automatically captures the characteristics of a human face in a selfie and creates a virtual character or emoticon. This is also a major feature of Apple's latest smartphone iPhone X. Samsung Electronics focuses on camera functions because video is emerging as a new growth engine item for ICT companies all over the world. A spike in those in their 10s and 20s communicating with each other via videos has made smartphone cameras emerge as a new factor in determining smartphones’ competitiveness.
In Korea, video platform YouTube is expanding its power. Teenagers are already searching YouTube to find answers or satisfy their curiosity by breaking away from portal sites such as Naver and Daum. In fact, according to market analysis site WiseApp's analysis, teens and those in their 20s crushed others in YouTube use time.
Naver is also focusing on camera application Snow. Snow recently received US$ 50 million (about 53.5 billion won) in investment from Masayoshi Son’s Softbank. Snow, a camera app that surpasses 200 million downloads around the world gives various effects to photos with an AR function.
Kakao is also expanding its investment in videos. The company launched a video-on-demand (VOD) service to target users who want to watch videos in Kakao Page which was a platform for webtoons and web novels only. Kakao also offers the Kakao TV service linked with mobile messenger KakaoTalk.
Global company Facebook is also sparing no investment for people who want to watch videos. Facebook Live is promoting a trend where users share their daily lives with their friends.
Game companies’ marketing methods are also changing. In the past, they focused on publicizing games through TV commercials, but now more and more game publishers are recognizing that internet game broadcasting jockeys are essential to promoting and publicizing games. That is to say, game developers are publicizing new games in partnership with popular game broadcasting jockeys.
"Phono Sapiens, a new kind of human beings who has been using smartphones since their childhood, voluntarily shares videos and communicates in a way totally different from conventional ways of thinking,” said professor Choi Jae-bong of Sungkyunkwan University. “A new strategy is needed for the new generation who become excited not about TV but about YouTube and e-sports."