MZ generation CEO aims to leverage social media advertising

CEO Lee Yun-kyung

The MZ generation’s consumption patterns are different from those of previous generations, according to Lee Yun-kyung, chief executive officer of South Korean social marketing specialist INNOCEAN-S.

“Change is inevitable in the traditional marketing method that promotes products and brands via advertising to increase consumer preference, which then lead to product purchases,” Lee said in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper.

She noted that the relationship between consumers and brands is changing, with MZ generation consumers purchasing products first and then forming a relationship with the brand if they like the product. Social media serves as the channel connecting brands and consumers, which explains its growth as a key player in the advertising market.

INNOCEAN-S is a social marketing company founded in November 2023by Innocean Worldwide Inc., a global marketing and communications service provider. It offers comprehensive services covering all aspects of social media advertising from strategy planning and operation to content creation and global client management.

According to DMC Report, a digital advertising and marketing knowledge portal service, the global social media advertising market is expected to hit $247.3 billion by 2027, up from $207 billion in 2023.

Lee joined Innocean in 2007 via open recruitment and is the first example of an open recruitment employee becoming the CEO of a subsidiary. Born in 1984, Lee belongs to the millennial generation and Innocean selected her aas the company believed that a young perspective is essential to stay ahead of the ever-changing trends in social media. The decision has proven effective, as INNOCEAN-S has won all the social media competitive presentations (PTs) conducted in 2024 to date. In the advertising industry, a PT win rate above 30 percent is considered high.

INNOCEAN-S’ competitive edge lies in its strategy-based content production. “Most existing social agencies focus solely on quickly producing content without a clear strategy,” according to Lee. “In contrast, we diagnose the brand’s current status, propose strategic solutions for challenges and issues, and offer consulting services, which is our biggest differentiator.”

INNOCEAN-S is targeting the broader digital market beyond social media, and recently created teams specializing in short-form content and space marketing.

“We have set ‘Beyond the Social’ as our future management keyword,” Lee said. “We aim to position ourselves as the agency that provides the most innovative digital content and accelerate our expansion into overseas markets.”