Otoki 3-Minute Curry, launched in 1969, was Korea’s first instant curry. For over 50 years, they’ve avoided drastic flavor changes. Even when the curry market surged during COVID-19 in 2020, Otoki focused on maintaining “the taste mom used to make.” This strategy may seem frustrating amid trend changes, but long-term it creates trust in “this tastes the same whenever you eat it.”
Strategy ④ Crisis Response and ESG Practice
Consumer-Focused Choices Amid Rising Costs
After raising ramen prices in February 2008, Otoki froze prices for 13 years until August 2021. During this period, competitors raised prices multiple times, but Otoki suppressed increases through facility automation and cost reduction. This choice sent consumers the message that Otoki prioritizes long-term trust over short-term profit.
Leading Eco-Friendly Packaging
Starting in June 2022, Otoki applied flexographic printing eco-friendly packaging to 10 products including Jin Ramen, ketchup, and mayonnaise. This method reduces ink usage by over 30% and cuts organic solvent usage by up to 1,600 tons annually, contributing to carbon neutrality.
Orion and Otoki: Same Trust, Different Approach
If Orion established itself in consumer memory through emotional connection called “jeong” (情), Otoki accumulated trust through attitude rather than emotion.
While Orion created the emotional story of “moments shared together” through Choco Pie, Otoki built its brand through consistent choices in crisis situations. The methods differ, but both brands reached the same destination: long-term trust from Korean consumers.
What Otoki Proves: Brand Assets Built by Time
Korean consumers remember choices made during crises more than flashy campaigns. Through more than half a century of quiet action, Otoki built a brand consumers stand by when it matters most.
Otoki has become “a brand that’s inconvenient when absent.” This is trust that cannot be created through advertising—it’s the weight of a brand accumulated over time.
Strategic Takeaways from Otoki’s Brand Playbook
- Prove Philosophy Through Action: Don’t shout “good company” in ads—show decades of consistent choices.
- Build Visual Consistency as an Asset: Like Otoki’s yellow, establish a brand identity you can maintain for 50+ years.
- Make Stability Your Strategy: Not every product needs to be a hit. Repeatedly provide “experiences that don’t fail.”
- Crisis Choices Define Brands: Long-term trust is determined in moments of crisis and responsibility—price increases, ESG practices, etc.
Otoki’s success demonstrates how quiet practice and consistent choices create brand trust that endures across generations.
At HY Marketing, we design trust that accumulates over time with brands in Korea, Japan, and beyond.
👉 Apply to work with us
Soeun Kim, Korean Marketing Coordinator
