The current Content material Advertising and marketing Summit in Seoul was full of latest concepts. Our workforce was there to study and encourage with the most recent music. We heard from trade leaders who’re redefining how manufacturers join with audiences — from hyper-local methods to viral campaigns that transcend generations. At Epidemic Sound, we’re all the time on the lookout for methods to empower creators and types, and these insights have been a few of our favorites. Let’s dive into what we heard, why it issues, and the way it connects to the artistic course of and the ability of sound.1.The formulation for achievement: Lowering friction and going social-first
Soyeon Kim, a advertising and marketing powerhouse with expertise at Coupang Eats, Uber, and Google, shared a easy but highly effective formulation for content material advertising and marketing success: scale back friction. Her session careworn the significance of specializing in what your viewers cares about — not simply what your model desires to say. This mindset shift, paired with sharp artistic execution, drives engagement and outcomes.From TikTok to YouTube, campaigns that preserve messaging clear and social-first are profitable. Kim talked about how Coupang Eats blew away folks’s concepts that TikTok doesn’t generate profits. They did this by making gross sales via content material that was led by influencers. This gave creators freedom and stored calls-to-action vital. Vaseline’s “Hack Marketing campaign” and IKEA’s “U Up?” marketing campaign adopted related fashions — rooted in curiosity, developments, and sensible worth — to chop via the noise and immediate fast motion.For skilled creatives, the takeaway is obvious: content material needs to be frictionless from concept to execution. Sound can play a essential position right here — personalizing model tone, aligning with platform developments, and rising retention. At Epidemic Sound, with over 3 billion every day performs of our music, we all know what’s resonating throughout markets and platforms. Our licensing mannequin additionally makes it simpler to publish throughout platforms and influencer content material. This lets creatives transfer rapidly and act socially first with out dropping high quality or compliance.2. Impacting commerce: Way of life storytelling and long-term belief
A standout session on stay commerce methods featured insights from Sunwoo Euiseong (YouTube Artistic Lab), Yoon Sang-hee (Bucketplace), and Choi Jung-ha (Lotte Homeshopping). Their dialogue centered on how content material at the moment should do greater than promote — it wants to point out how a product matches into and enhances on a regular basis life. Storytelling is not optionally available; it’s the mechanism for belief, longevity, and influence.Whereas short-form content material nonetheless drives virality, long-form content material builds credibility and deeper buyer relationships. These trade leaders mentioned it’s vital to consider content material from the client’s standpoint. Additionally they mentioned planners needs to be concerned in making and planning in order that messages keep targeted, related, and actual.For creatives, this factors to a essential alternative: sound as a storytelling accelerant. Nicely-chosen music and sound results can elevate a scene, outline a way of life, and improve the emotional weight of a message. 92% of individuals need manufacturers to make adverts that really feel like tales (The Model Store, 2024. What’s extra, good storytelling triggers the discharge of oxytocin, which promotes belief (HBR, 2014). Utilizing Epidemic Sound’s search options — by style, temper, BPM, and even video add — creators can discover soundtracks that match their model values and marketing campaign objectives. Consistency is vital, and with music that displays your model’s philosophy, you may ship a cohesive audio expertise throughout each touchpoint.3. The ability of native: Connecting via authenticity
One other resonant theme on the summit was the rising significance of native content material. As Hyungki Lee (Shinsegae), Minyoung Jang (Our Planet For Earth & Us!), and Jooseok Hong (Urbanplay) explored of their panel, “Why Native Content material is Essential,” the true power of native storytelling lies in its freshness — surfacing new concepts and shining a lightweight on what’s usually ignored. However this isn’t nearly geography; it’s about creating distinctive, place-rooted content material experiences that foster emotional and cultural connection.Throughout sectors, manufacturers are leaning into this. Urbanplay is revitalizing city areas via native tradition. Our Planeat’s Native Odyssey brings consideration to sustainable gastronomy. Shinsegae’s “Native is Shinsegae” marketing campaign expands market entry for regional merchandise, elevating “Okay-LOCAL” as a worldwide motion. These examples present that native content material is not merely a shopper development — it’s a technique for long-term model which means and differentiation, generally even in a worldwide market.For artistic professionals, this reinforces the worth of authenticity and cultural nuance in storytelling. Music performs a key position right here, serving to form narratives that resonate deeply with particular communities. With entry to broad and domestically related catalogs, creators can craft a sonic id that displays native tastes whereas staying aligned with a worldwide model voice. Sound ought to by no means be an afterthought — when used strategically, it’s a device for emotional connection, id, and influence.4. Catching hearts throughout generations: The SAMG Leisure success story
Jay M. Jeon, CMO (Chief Advertising and marketing Officer) of SAMG Leisure, shared an inspiring have a look at how their IP Catch! Teenieping turned a beloved hit throughout generations. With a technique rooted in tight integration of content material and merchandise, SAMG offered over 7 million character figures and constructed a fanbase that spans from youngsters to their dad and mom.SAMG’s success didn’t occur by chance. By way of sensible use of memes, short-form content material, and viral sounds, they prolonged their attain past their authentic demographic. Partnerships with manufacturers like Hyundai and Okay-Magnificence giants, together with collaborations with Okay-Pop artists, helped remodel Teenieping from a present right into a full-scale cultural phenomenon.It is a masterclass in how IP turns into iconic — and music performs a starring position in giving life to tales throughout platforms and touchpoints. From memorable theme songs to recognizable character sounds, audio is a basic a part of identity-building. It helps transmedia IPs attain not solely new artistic heights — but additionally new fandoms. As a artistic, accessing a various and versatile music library, backed by simple licensing, allows you to construct audio universes that scale throughout codecs and generations. Whether or not it is a TikTok meme or a full-length function, the precise soundtrack helps IPs come to life and endure.5. Bringing all of it collectively: The ability of sound for skilled creatives
The Content material Advertising and marketing Summit Seoul strengthened a transparent message: the way forward for content material is genuine, personalised, and deeply linked to viewers pursuits. Whether or not it’s hyper-local storytelling, frictionless social campaigns, lifestyle-driven commerce, or constructing multi-generational IPs, sound is an integral — usually underestimated — part.For the skilled artistic, having the precise instruments is paramount. Entry to high-quality music and sound results, mixed with a simplified licensing mannequin, permits for:Frictionless creativity, the place discovering and utilizing music is quick, intuitive, and platform-ready.Constant model id, via curated audio that aligns with a model’s voice and values.Genuine storytelling, with a sound that displays cultural nuance and emotional depth.Multi-generational enchantment, utilizing numerous tracks to assist content material resonate with each area of interest and mainstream audiences.In a world more and more pushed by participating content material, the precise sound could be the emotional core, the cultural connector, and the seamless answer that helps you — and your shoppers — create work that thrives. Discover soundtracks for each story with Epidemic Sound.
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