First Korean company to win in the social media category… Only Korean company to win GWA this year
Two-way communication with the MZ generation by utilizing digital trends such as characters and YouTube… Attracted empathy for POSCO’s eco-friendly efforts
POSCO won an award in the social media category of the Golden World Awards 2022 (GWA) hosted by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).
The Golden World Awards is a global award given every year by the International Public Relations Association, which has more than 1,000 PR experts around the world, to brands that have operated excellent PR campaigns in about 30 categories, including entertainment, sports, environment, and new product launches. It is called the “Nobel Prize of the PR industry” because it is the only PR-related award that judges brands worldwide regardless of region.
POSCO was the only Korean company to be on the list of winners this year, and in particular, it was the first in Korea to receive an award in the social media category since the Golden World Awards was established in 1990.
POSCO was recognized for its achievements in actively utilizing social media characters and YouTube to break away from the existing image of a heavy steel company and enhance the image of an environmentally friendly and sustainable company for future generations.
POSCO communed directly with the MZ generation by telling its brand story using the social media character “Po Seok-ho,” created by university students, as the narrator. In addition, POSCO collaborated with various social media influencers to introduce spaces representing eco-friendly steel, such as Park1538, a high-quality complex cultural space at POSCO’s headquarters in Pohang, and Space Walk, the largest experiential sculpture in Korea, donated by POSCO to Pohang. Moreover, it developed the storytelling in a way that the MZ generation could enjoy with content optimized for digital trends, such as music videos and LAN tours.
Through the mid-to-long-term YouTube campaign “Green Tomorrow,” a mystery web drama launched this year, POSCO’s efforts toward carbon neutrality, such as introducing hydrogen-reduced steel and steel products for eco-friendly energy, were presented in a fun way, drawing sympathy and support from many people.
POSCO’s Instagram saw the number of subscribers increase by more than 47% compared to before the introduction of the character, and the amount of content participation* increased by eight times. In addition, the YouTube campaign “Green Tomorrow,” which has been held since January this year, has recorded more than 14 million views and 2,400 comments so far.
* Content participation: Like + Save + Share + Comment
“This award was possible entirely thanks to Podong-I (the nickname for the followers of POSC’’s Instagram channel), who have given Po Seok-ho a lot of love and support,” said Jeong-yoon Ha, assistant manager of POSCO’s Communication Office, who was in charge of launching the character “Po Seok-ho” and operating the company’s Instagram channel. Ha added, “I will repay you with various contents that Podong-i can sympathize with, laugh with and enjoy in the future.”
POSCO will further expand the communication base with the MZ generation by developing eco-friendly goods using “Po Seok-ho,” operating offline pop-up stores, and launching digital campaigns. At the same time, it plans to continue its efforts to raise awareness as a representative company of future eco-friendly materials by using the latest video trends such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.