What is the one common factor between an astronaut on the international space station, billionaire Elon Musk, and South Korean actor Song Joong Ki?

The answer might make you go ‘What, Seriously?’ Now, are you ready for the answer? Well, the answer is that all three of them eat Kopiko candies at some point in their lives. 

If you’re a K-drama lover, you might have noticed Kopiko candies appear out of nowhere  – sometimes almost as frequently as Subway – in the middle of your favourite shows. 

And in 2017, a then-Twitter post by the official International Space Station account showed a group of astronauts enjoying their Thanksgiving dinner, with Kopiko candies in the picture. 

Fast forward to 2022, Elon Musk was offered Kopiko candies by Indonesia’s minister of maritime and investment affairs when they met in Texas. The billionaire tried the candied treat for the first time and was caught in video raising both his thumbs. 

But what have these got to do with money you might ask. Believe it or not, shares of Kopiko’s owner Mayora Group jumped 7.3 per cent as a result of the video featuring Elon Musk. 

So what is Kopiko’s secret to building a strong brand both organically and inorganically, and what is the financial reward for doing so? 

Also – what is the return on investments in promotional strategies such as product placements?  And how far is Kopiko’s proliferation into K-dramas a good strategy for the firm to position itself as a global brand?

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Pak Ricky, Director and Global Marketing Director, Mayora Group.