[Ministry of SMEs and Startups]
[Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced Saturday the launch of the "Brand Small Business Jump-Up" support program, under which advertising agencies will directly develop the brands of promising small businesses and help them break into overseas markets.

The program is a follow-up and upgrade to the existing "Brand Small Business Development (TOPS)" initiative. Its goal is to strengthen the unique stories and brand value of small-business products that have already proven their competitiveness, and grow them into premium brands capable of succeeding in global markets.

Unlike previous government-led, one-off sales and marketing support efforts, the new program draws heavily on the expertise of private full-service advertising agencies. Private firms will take charge of the entire process — from brand planning and promotion to overseas expansion.

Thirty small businesses were ultimately selected for the program's inaugural year amid competition of roughly 30 to one. The chosen companies had already demonstrated growth potential through government support programs such as TOPS and the Strong Small Business initiative. SM Culture & Contents, a domestic full-service advertising agency, was selected as the implementing organization.

The selected businesses will receive one-on-one tailored support for about six months through December. The program will first help them build brand identities by leveraging differentiated product stories and character intellectual property, then raise their public profiles through video content production and broadcast product placement using entertainment assets. Plans also call for linking participants to global trade fairs and K-culture events to support their overseas expansion.

The program is notable as a public-private collaboration model in which the government provides funding while the private sector directly nurtures the brands. Rather than simple sales support, it focuses on building a foundation for sustainable growth by strengthening brand competitiveness. The initiative reflects a judgment that, amid rising global recognition for Korean consumer brands such as K-beauty and K-food products, small businesses must secure their own brand strength to survive in world markets.

"The purpose of this program is to combine the branding capabilities of private advertising agencies with government-vetted, high-quality small-business products to cultivate premium brands recognized in global markets," said Lee Byeong-gwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups. "We will actively support the selected companies so they can grow into global brands like Joseon Beauty and Matin Kim."


boo@heraldcorp.com