Casetify soon to hit shelves on KakaoTalk Gift

Global tech accessories brand Casetify will be available on Korea’s KakaoTalk Gift platform from Monday, taking its hype to the country’s most popular messaging app.

The latest Casetify products on Apple and Samsung smartphones [CASETIFY]

Global tech accessories brand Casetify will be available on Korea’s KakaoTalk Gift platform from Monday, taking its hype to the country’s most popular messaging app.

KakaoTalk Gift is a feature within the KakaoTalk messaging app that allows users to purchase and send gifts to their friends and family. Diversifying sales channels is part of Casetify’s strategy to make products more accessible in the local market.

Casetify is a brand known for its customizable accessories for electronic devices such as smartphone and tablet cases, co-founded by Wesley Ng and Ronald Yeung in 2011. The two founders noticed that accessories for smartphones either lacked style or quality, and started out by introducing phone cases that users can customize using their own photos.

The brand regularly updates its products and designs whenever a new lineup is released from Apple, Samsung and Google. Initially products were centralized around Apple models, but the brand now strives to have a diverse product line for Android models as well. This includes Samsung's latest Galaxy foldable series — the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 — released last month when the brand announced case designs exclusively for Samsung users.

KakaoTalk Gift is the first third-party online retailer that Casetify is partnering with since entering the Korean market in 2019, when it first offered Korean language services on its website. Venturing into offline retail since 2021, Casetify currently operates five offline flagship stores — four in Seoul and one in Busan.

“Casetify polls as the top-of-mind case brand, proven through multiple external surveys including Google search, and Cosmopolitan Korea’s recent Cos-quality awards 2023. We are positive that the hundreds of print and color options that cater to any kind of persona will make the perfect gift. It is only natural that we extend our channels to meet the demands of the mass market," a Casetify spokesperson said.

Casetify is especially recognized for incorporating the hottest trends — K-pop superstars BTS and Blackpink, and Netflix Korea hits like “Squid Game” — into the brand marketing, with the its regional teams and market specialists quick to hop on the latest trend to come up with new collaborations and events to stimulate users. For the same reason, Casetify says its offline stores are equally important as its online channels, functioning as “cultural hubs” that represent the brand’s mission of empowering consumers’ individuality through their products.

“We envision a community of like-minded individuals freely coming in, hanging out and getting creative,” the spokesperson said. “Our website will continue to serve as the primary platform, while our offline stores will provide richer in-person experiences through the made-to-order system. We also plan on experimenting with food and beverage, and curating gallery spaces and art performances at our stores, so that our channels truly become cultural hubs for Gen Z and Millennials.”

Casetfiy showcases a 3-meter phone case installation outside Coex in southern Seoul from Wednesday. [CASETIFY]

The brand installed a 3-meter (9.8 feet) iPhone Casetify case in Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday, where two global art fairs, Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul are being held throughout the week.

The brand is dominant in the U.S., its largest market, and Korea is one of its fastest growing markets.

Casetify positions its products on the premium end of the spectrum among other tech accessory brands. The products' durability and quality have been proven through multiple tests done by many Korean YouTubers such as tech influencer ITSub.

Casetify unveiled its latest highly protective phone case, the Ultra Bounce Case, at the IFA 2023 last week, promoted as “the most protective phone case” for the mass market. The case boasts an impressive durability, able to endure drops from heights up to 10 meters, and allows for extensive design customization from fonts, patterns and colors — traits the brand is famous for.

The Ultra Bounce Case will be available from mid-September, rolling out to coincide with the release of Apple's new iPhone 15 series this month.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]