Most preferred characters South Korea 2023

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around 14 percent of respondents stated that Pororo was among their most preferred characters. Pororo is a penguin character from a 3D animated children's TV show who goes on adventures with his friends. The series began airing in 2003.

Character merchandise and goods

From animal characters such as Pororo the little penguin to human characters like Shin-chan from “Crayon Shin-chan,” leading characters in animated media are by their nature already stylized, making it easier to produce merchandise and goods in their likeness. In a 2022 survey, 86 percent of people answered they had bought character-related goods or merchandise. Such goods were popular among people of all ages, with the lowest purchase rate lying at around 75 percent. Toys such as dolls were the most popular character product purchased in the previous year.

Characters as a marketing strategy

Characters have become a popular marketing strategy for various types of products and services. According to a 2022 survey, around 65 percent of people reported that marketing campaigns collaborating with characters influenced their decision to buy a good or product. Roughly one in three people were willing to pay between ten and 20 percent more for a product if it featured a character. This was also a viable marketing strategy for various media contents, with around 60 percent of people trying other media if a character they liked featured in it.