3 Key Strategies of a Small Publishing Brand That Achieved a 15-Fold Increase in Funding
Updated: October 13, 2026
It's helpful for people like this
- I'm confident about the product but I'm worried about the low brand recognition
- Who is worried about marketing strategies ahead of the launch of a new product
- Who wants to make a real fan of the brand
Our brand, how can we promote more?
Even small, low-profile brands can grow enough if they accurately find customers to respond to my products and connect them to payments. A good example is the publishing brand Hyun Design Institute, which was successful with the folk paintings project
The current design institute has achieved about 15 times higher performance than the previous project through new attempts, such as participating in special exhibitions and extending the scheduled opening period. Since then, the project has been steadily introduced and accumulated more than 100 million won over the past five months. Let's take a look at the three success strategies that have created a turning point for the growth of small brands.
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Project Performance
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Previous Project (26.03)
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the amount of money raised
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4 million won | 60.52 million won |
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Number of notification requests
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186 people | 1,247 people |
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Number of participating supporters
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47 people | 306 people |
Strategy 1. Meet new customers who will like my product through an exhibition
If your brand awareness is low, actively promote your brand in a place where customers who are likely to like your product are gathered, rather than blindly informing many people. The current design research institute also opened the project without a special exhibition before, but by participating in the Sammu Bookstore, which introduces publishing projects together, we created an opportunity to be discovered by customers interested in folk painting books. As a result, it raised 14.2 million won on the first day of the project's opening, ranking second in real-time in the book field.
If it is difficult to promote the 💡 brand, participate in this year's Wadiz exhibition.
This is a special exhibition that Wadiz is preparing for this year. Create a turning point in your success by choosing a special exhibition that can effectively promote your product!
- Sammu Bookstore Special Exhibition (~10/31): It illuminates all beautiful works and names such as books, crafts, goods, and stationery.
- Early Winter Signal (~10/5): First, let's gather and introduce projects to prepare for winter.
- Blackbird (~10/26): This is Wadiz's largest special exhibition for the Black Friday season.
Strategy 2. Gathering 1,000 'clients in line' even before opening
It is important to have enough supporters waiting before the opening, rather than gathering customers after the opening to improve the project's performance. The current design institute increased the scheduled opening period from around a week in the previous project to 16 days and actively collected notification applications, and as a result, it was able to attract 1,247 notification applicants, 6.7 times more than the previous project. During this period, the current Design Research Institute gathered new supporters with targeted advertisements, consistently announced folk tales and benefits of special exhibitions with new news, raising the expectations of supporters waiting for the opening.
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Period
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How to Collect Notification Applications
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| the first 10 days | Target commercial begins, and new news with folktales is released |
| Last 6 days | Target advertisement continued operation, Sammu Office store planning exhibition began, and new news on coupon benefits for the exhibition was released |
💡 If you want to increase your firepower even before opening, try this
- Targeting 1,000 Notification Applications: The project that attracted more than 1,000 notification applications in Wadiz achieved more than 10 million won, which was 77%.
- Scheduled to open: Wadiz had the highest success rate and the lowest failure rate of the project, which was scheduled to open from 14th to 21st. During this period, gather new supporters and connect them to notification applications by utilizing advertisements, news, and planning benefits.
*Data base: January 2025 to June 2026
Strategy 3. Solve questions before paying with new news
Just because you're interested in the product doesn't lead to payment right away. Especially for products that are difficult to experience enough online, such as books and crafts, it is important to answer questions before purchasing. Since its opening, the current design institute has consistently released "reading tasting" as new news that shows the actual contents and creation of the book. I was able to experience the book in advance to the supporter who was worried because he couldn't open it in person.
💡 If you want to turn your worries into payments, try this
- Write down 3 questions that customers will be curious about: "What would it look like to receive it in person?" "Why is it priced at this?" and "What is different from other products?"Look for questions that make you think about paying first.
- Showing the answer to your question with new news: Write new news that will show you the charm of your product while solving your questions, such as real or crafty books, production processes, and goods, such as size and detail.
If you're a book, craft, and good's brand, grow your brand at the Sammu Bookstore special exhibition in October
The Sammu Bookstore, the same exhibition that the current design research institute created the momentum for growth, is recruiting makers to participate in October. In addition to books, various projects such as crafts, traditional objects, IP goods, art, and stationery can participate, and during the exhibition, you can meet more supporters through various pages such as main banners, app pop-ups, KakaoTalk push, and SNS.
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category
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content
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Acceptance of application
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Until October 31st |
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a special exhibition period
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October 19th to November 15th |
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Type of Participation
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Funding/preoder is available, multiple projects can be participated simultaneously (projects that have already been opened are not allowed) |
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Target
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The artist's books (books, e-books, classes, cartoons, films), craftsmen's workshops (crafts, ceramics, traditional objects, heritage goods), artists' studios (IP, goods, art, characters), and recorders' desks (textbooks, reading items, desk terriers, tech) |
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Coupon benefits (Wadiz paid)
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3,000 won (over 50,000 won) · 7,000 won (over 150,000 won) · 5,000 won (first-come, first-served) exclusively for supporters' clubs |
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exposed ground
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Main banner, app pop-up, KakaoTalk push, SNS post |
👉 Apply for Sammu Department Store Special Exhibition right away
frequently asked questions
Q. How can a small brand with low brand awareness meet new customers?
A. Rather than trying to promote the brand to many people from the beginning, there is a way to utilize a channel where customers who are interested in my product are already gathered. The current design institute exposed its brand to new supporters through the book exhibition "Sammu Bookstore" and met more customers than the previous project.
Q. Which brand should I use for the Wadiz exhibition?
A. You can use it if you have low brand awareness or lack of contact to meet new customers. However, rather than just looking at the size of the exhibition, it is important to check first that my product category and customer base fit well with the theme of the exhibition.
Q. Where can I find the Wadiz exhibition that I can apply for now?
A. You can check out the exhibition on the special exhibition bulletin board at the maker center. For projects such as books, crafts, goods, and stationery, check out the "Sammu Bookstore" special exhibition that can be applied by October 31.
Q. How can I participate in the Sammu Bookstore exhibition?
A. You can apply at the Sammu Department Store recruitment announcement at the maker center. Funding and preorder projects that can be opened between October 19th and November 1st are eligible, and projects that have already been opened cannot be applied.
Beyond one success, it's a turning point in brand growth
Even after meeting new supporters at Sammu Bookstore, the current design institute continues to grow its brand by achieving more than 20 million won for each project it presents. If my brand also needs a new opportunity for growth, meet more supporters at this Sammu Bookstore. Beyond one achievement, it will be a turning point for the brand to continue to grow.
| Apply for Sammu Department Store Special Exhibition |
| What if Wadiz is new to you? Making My Project |