The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at kyeongkeun.kang@nhqv.com -- Ed.
Revu is the leader among domestic influencer marketing platforms. The firm has over 1.15mn domestic and international influencers (members) and a total of 59,000 clients (advertisers). It has established entry barriers and secured operating leverage based on AI technology and accumulated data.
Number-one influencer marketing platform in Korea
Revu Corporation is the leading company in the domestic influencer marketing platform market (66% market share). The company provides its services in six countries in East Asia and has over 1.15mn domestic and international influencer members. Despite the sluggish advertising market, the influencer marketing market continues to grow. The trend of purchasing through social media networks such as Instagram, blogs, and YouTube is spreading, particularly among those in their 20s and 30s.
Building influencer business ecosystem through segment and global expansion
The company's REVU service is a platform that matches nano/micro influencers (with less than 100,000 followers) with local small business owners, SMEs, and local governments. The advertising process is AI-based—when advertisers request campaigns, an AI system matches them with the most suitable influencers. Once influencers participate in the campaigns and fulfill tasks (related to visits and reviews), the firm verifies and rewards the influencers. The company then receives a campaign fee (average of W170,000) from advertisers.
Supported by stable cash flow from its review service, the company is seeking to expand its REVU Select service and global operations. The REVU Select service is a proposal-acceptance type marketing platform that targets macro/mega influencers (with over 100,000 followers) to provide marketing services for top-tier domestic brand clients. The company is also pursuing the expansion of its global business by growing its market share in the countries it has already entered and also penetrating new markets. The official launch of its services in the US and Japan is scheduled for later this year.