Local administrations rush to hire popular YouTubers for publicity
Korean comedian Kim Dae-hee, left, showcases his visit to Boryeong Mud Theme Park on his YouTube channel, Ggondaehee. Screenshot from YouTube
Municipal administrations are increasingly turning to YouTube to promote their regions and policies, even spending tens of millions of won to cast popular influencers and entertainers for their content, according to officials, Tuesday.
Experts argue that this shift in public relations strategy is necessary in a media landscape dominated by video content. However, they also caution that rigorous evaluations are essential to prevent wasteful spending.
Chungju, a city in North Chungcheong Province, has recently gained significant attention for its official YouTube channel, which has gone viral using trendy content and popular memes for its videos.
Kim Sun-tae, a city official, has become a breakout star, appearing in videos with makeup and comedic segments that have resonated with viewers.
The city’s YouTube channel, launched in 2019, now boasts 567,000 subscribers, nearly triple the city’s population of 207,700, ranking the highest among channels run by local governments nationwide.
The official YouTube channel of Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, has utilized the popular coffin dance meme on its channel to promote social distancing policies. Screenshot from YouTube
This success has spurred other local governments to revamp their own YouTube channels, aiming to boost regional visibility and promote their policies.
Boryeong, a coastal city in South Chungcheong Province, recently promoted its local festivals, tourist attractions and regional cuisine through the popular YouTube channel Ggondaehee, hosted by comedian Kim Dae-hee.
The 12-minute video, released on July 31, was produced with a budget of 35 million won ($25,549), funded jointly by the city and the South Chungcheong Provincial Government's tourism budget, according to a city official.
With 1.68 million subscribers as of August, Ggondaehee is a particularly popular YouTube channel among viewers in their 20s and 30s.
"With YouTube being widely accessed by younger generations, we aimed to promote the region through various aspects on the platform," an official at the Boryeong City Government said.
Syuka, a renowned influencer, promotes Seoul's runner station on the city's official YouTube channel. Screenshot from YouTube
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also enlisted Syuka, a renowned influencer in the Korean economic and financial sector, for its official YouTube channel, alongside the city’s self-produced content.
Syuka, who has over 2.7 million subscribers on his YouTube channel Syuka World, is well-known for his engaging presentations on economic and financial topics across various TV shows and online platforms.
"The advantage of working with influencers like Syuka is their built-in audience, which allows us to more effectively promote the city's initiatives to a larger audience," an official at the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.
Recognizing the growing influence of online personalities, the city has been collaborating with Syuka since last year.
"We’ve found that using influencers is an effective way to promote city festivals and policies, so we’re considering increasing the budget next year and bringing in other celebrities," the official said.
Experts believe that although adapting public relations strategies to a video-centric media environment is essential, a thorough assessment is vital.
Lee Sang-won, a media professor at Kyung Hee University, believes that it is logical for local governments to prioritize YouTube in their public relations strategies, given Korea's high YouTube usage rate and the media's focus on video and OTT services.
As of March, there were approximately 53 million active YouTube users nationwide, representing 95 percent of the population. Additionally, the average monthly YouTube app usage time among Korean smartphone users was 40 hours in January 2024, according to data from Wiseapp, an application analysis service.
"The key role of local government media is to provide information that resonates with regional characteristics and meets the needs of local residents, and YouTube can be an effective tool for this," Lee said.
However, he emphasized the need for a thorough assessment of the promotional impact, considering factors such as how effectively each local government manages its YouTube presence and how accessible the content is to the public.
"Evaluating the management and operation of YouTube channels is crucial to determining the effectiveness of the budget," Lee said.