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[Dong-A Ilbo] [2026 KCAB Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand Award] The Era of Products is Over, the Era of Brands Has Arrived
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woomtree
Date
2026-03-19 10:07
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1495
https://www.donga.com/news/Economy/article/all/20260317/133542796/2
[2026 Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand Award]
Spices and Preparations Sector / 6 consecutive years
The era of products is over. Now is the era of brands. An era has begun where value and emotion, rather than price or function, determine consumption. Simple quality competition is a thing of the past. According to the '2025 Brand Trust Report' by global consulting firm Edelman, seven out of ten consumers worldwide (71%) cited whether the brand shares their values as their top priority in purchasing decisions. This marks the full-scale beginning of so-called 'emotional consumption.'.
Dong-A Ilbo selected the '2026 Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brands (KCAB)' and analyzed the success stories of 54 consumer-preferred brands across various categories that deeply resonated with consumers over the past year.
From leading domestic players such as LG Electronics, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, and LG Uplus to international brands like Malaysia Airlines, L'Oréal Paris, Herbalife, and Solventum, their commonality was clear: they sell culture and values, not products.
Starting as 'Rakhee Chemical Industry Co.' in 1947, LG has evolved from a simple household goods company into a national brand symbolizing South Korea. Under the philosophy of 'Life's Good,' it has built a technology ecosystem that permeates homes and daily life, encompassing not only home appliances but also displays and batteries. Globally, it has become a symbol of 'Made in Korea' quality, while domestically, it has established the perception of being a 'brand you can trust.'.
Malaysia Airlines transformed air travel from a mere means of transportation into a special hospitality experience imbued with Malaysian culture through 'Malaysian Hospitality.' It is a prime example of a successful brand that connects national culture to its identity through in-flight service, food, and crew interaction. What values are the brands chosen directly by consumers each conveying?
Award-winning brands share a clear commonality: they sell identity and experience, not products. While these brands differ in size, industry, and nationality, they share one common strategy: selling 'value' rather than products.
Experts call this the 'fandom economy.' It is a structure where consumers who resonate with the values conveyed by a brand go beyond being mere customers to become fans, believers, and evangelists.
The Korea Consumer Evaluation Committee, which was in charge of the evaluation, summarizes the common factors of beloved brands into three points.
The first is emotional and affective connection. Attachment is formed when a brand connects with consumers' lives and emotions. The second is consistent trust. A brand that provides the same experience anytime and anywhere becomes the default choice for consumers. The third is continuous self-innovation. As the market changes, brands must change to survive.
Ultimately, the brands consumers rate as the best are those that add meaning to their lives. As price competition intensifies and the technological gap narrows, a brand's emotional assets become an even more decisive competitive advantage.
Brands chosen directly by consumers. They did not simply sell products or services. They sold 'values' and 'stories' that people could believe in and relate to. And the consumers who resonated with those stories are now becoming fans who are growing the brands.
The Dong-A Ilbo has established and been presenting the "Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand Award," based on direct consumer evaluations. The purpose of this award is to satisfy consumers' rights to have their opinions reflected, their right to know, and their right to choose, while providing companies with an opportunity to enhance their brand value. The process for selecting the winners of this event is as follows: First, a pool of candidates was selected by reviewing publicly available data from relevant institutions, and applications were solicited through public announcements. Second, a survey was conducted among consumers regarding the applicant companies to select finalists reflecting consumer evaluations. Finally, a judging committee composed of academics and experts evaluated brand management strategies, the realization of consumer value, and consumer satisfaction; the winners were selected by combining the scores from both consumer and expert evaluations.
The key topics in the industry recently are big data and artificial intelligence (AI). In the era of advanced technology, everything becomes connected, leading to the development of an intelligent society, at the core of which lie connectivity and convergence. As the virtual and the real merge, and the online and offline converge, new business areas are created as business domains within industries combine. This hyper-connectivity in the market will lead to a more horizontal society and a shift in power.
The characteristics of such cutting-edge technology can be summarized as having a profound impact, yet being ambiguous, uncertain, and complex. In other words, it is difficult to predict the future market. In this era, the consumer ultimately becomes the protagonist of the market or industry. While corporations led the market in the past, consumers will lead the future market. Therefore, it is emphasized that advanced technologies must be used for the benefit of humanity. This is because, as society evolves into a horizontal one and power shifts, a reversal of status between corporations and consumers is occurring. Now, on the stage of the market, the consumer is the protagonist, and corporations must assume the role of sponsors. How should companies manage themselves in this era of status reversal? First, companies must attempt co-creation through collaboration with consumers. The surest way to treat customers as protagonists is to invite them into corporate management. New products developed with customer participation inevitably reflect customer needs. Second, companies must seek out where customers gather. Creating customer platforms is essential in future management. Brands that possess platforms where customers can easily gather, share opinions, and exchange them will enjoy a superior position. Such platforms will connect companies and customers and foster a sense of community (we-ness). Finally, brands must manage their dignity based on a sense of moral responsibility. Brands must present a differentiated brand identity, and they can capture the hearts of consumers when they contribute to creating a better society.
I extend my encouragement and applause to the companies that received awards today. I hope that the managers of these award-winning firms will serve customers as the protagonists in this era of high-tech, complete experience-oriented customer platforms, and maintain their dignity to pioneer the uncertain future market.
Source: Copyright ⓒ Dong-A Ilbo. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited.
[2026 Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand Award]
Today, the '2026 Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand' awards ceremony
54 Consumer-Preferred Brands Selected
‘Commonality: 'Selling Value, Not Products'
Spices and Preparations Sector / 6 consecutive years
Meat n raw wasabi
The era of products is over. Now is the era of brands. An era has begun where value and emotion, rather than price or function, determine consumption. Simple quality competition is a thing of the past. According to the '2025 Brand Trust Report' by global consulting firm Edelman, seven out of ten consumers worldwide (71%) cited whether the brand shares their values as their top priority in purchasing decisions. This marks the full-scale beginning of so-called 'emotional consumption.'.
Dong-A Ilbo selected the '2026 Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brands (KCAB)' and analyzed the success stories of 54 consumer-preferred brands across various categories that deeply resonated with consumers over the past year.
From leading domestic players such as LG Electronics, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, and LG Uplus to international brands like Malaysia Airlines, L'Oréal Paris, Herbalife, and Solventum, their commonality was clear: they sell culture and values, not products.
Starting as 'Rakhee Chemical Industry Co.' in 1947, LG has evolved from a simple household goods company into a national brand symbolizing South Korea. Under the philosophy of 'Life's Good,' it has built a technology ecosystem that permeates homes and daily life, encompassing not only home appliances but also displays and batteries. Globally, it has become a symbol of 'Made in Korea' quality, while domestically, it has established the perception of being a 'brand you can trust.'.
Malaysia Airlines transformed air travel from a mere means of transportation into a special hospitality experience imbued with Malaysian culture through 'Malaysian Hospitality.' It is a prime example of a successful brand that connects national culture to its identity through in-flight service, food, and crew interaction. What values are the brands chosen directly by consumers each conveying?
Award-winning brands share a clear commonality: they sell identity and experience, not products. While these brands differ in size, industry, and nationality, they share one common strategy: selling 'value' rather than products.
Experts call this the 'fandom economy.' It is a structure where consumers who resonate with the values conveyed by a brand go beyond being mere customers to become fans, believers, and evangelists.
The Korea Consumer Evaluation Committee, which was in charge of the evaluation, summarizes the common factors of beloved brands into three points.
The first is emotional and affective connection. Attachment is formed when a brand connects with consumers' lives and emotions. The second is consistent trust. A brand that provides the same experience anytime and anywhere becomes the default choice for consumers. The third is continuous self-innovation. As the market changes, brands must change to survive.
Ultimately, the brands consumers rate as the best are those that add meaning to their lives. As price competition intensifies and the technological gap narrows, a brand's emotional assets become an even more decisive competitive advantage.
Brands chosen directly by consumers. They did not simply sell products or services. They sold 'values' and 'stories' that people could believe in and relate to. And the consumers who resonated with those stories are now becoming fans who are growing the brands.
In the AI era, consumers drive the market.
[Review] Professor Yoo Chang-jo
The Dong-A Ilbo has established and been presenting the "Korea Consumer Evaluation Best Brand Award," based on direct consumer evaluations. The purpose of this award is to satisfy consumers' rights to have their opinions reflected, their right to know, and their right to choose, while providing companies with an opportunity to enhance their brand value. The process for selecting the winners of this event is as follows: First, a pool of candidates was selected by reviewing publicly available data from relevant institutions, and applications were solicited through public announcements. Second, a survey was conducted among consumers regarding the applicant companies to select finalists reflecting consumer evaluations. Finally, a judging committee composed of academics and experts evaluated brand management strategies, the realization of consumer value, and consumer satisfaction; the winners were selected by combining the scores from both consumer and expert evaluations.
The key topics in the industry recently are big data and artificial intelligence (AI). In the era of advanced technology, everything becomes connected, leading to the development of an intelligent society, at the core of which lie connectivity and convergence. As the virtual and the real merge, and the online and offline converge, new business areas are created as business domains within industries combine. This hyper-connectivity in the market will lead to a more horizontal society and a shift in power.
The characteristics of such cutting-edge technology can be summarized as having a profound impact, yet being ambiguous, uncertain, and complex. In other words, it is difficult to predict the future market. In this era, the consumer ultimately becomes the protagonist of the market or industry. While corporations led the market in the past, consumers will lead the future market. Therefore, it is emphasized that advanced technologies must be used for the benefit of humanity. This is because, as society evolves into a horizontal one and power shifts, a reversal of status between corporations and consumers is occurring. Now, on the stage of the market, the consumer is the protagonist, and corporations must assume the role of sponsors. How should companies manage themselves in this era of status reversal? First, companies must attempt co-creation through collaboration with consumers. The surest way to treat customers as protagonists is to invite them into corporate management. New products developed with customer participation inevitably reflect customer needs. Second, companies must seek out where customers gather. Creating customer platforms is essential in future management. Brands that possess platforms where customers can easily gather, share opinions, and exchange them will enjoy a superior position. Such platforms will connect companies and customers and foster a sense of community (we-ness). Finally, brands must manage their dignity based on a sense of moral responsibility. Brands must present a differentiated brand identity, and they can capture the hearts of consumers when they contribute to creating a better society.
I extend my encouragement and applause to the companies that received awards today. I hope that the managers of these award-winning firms will serve customers as the protagonists in this era of high-tech, complete experience-oriented customer platforms, and maintain their dignity to pioneer the uncertain future market.
Source: Copyright ⓒ Dong-A Ilbo. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited.
