CJ OnStyle's short-form fashion push pays off with younger shoppers

CJ OnStyle's strategy of tapping influencer Kim Go-eun — known from the dating reality show "Solo Hell 5" — to front short-form fashion content is delivering results among younger shoppers.

Short-form content for the company's in-house fashion brand The AtG accumulated more than 40 million views from January through May, CJ OnStyle said Thursday. The strong response among younger audiences followed the company's decision to name Kim as the brand's ambassador. Kim has emerged as a style icon for consumers in their 20s and 30s.

A behind-the-scenes clip from Kim's photo shoot racked up 12 million cumulative views, while a video compiling her off-duty fashion looks approached 7 million views.

A mobile live-commerce broadcast on May 14 featuring the designer brand Dayz Dayz — which drew attention through Kim's campaign photos — drew 480,000 page views and exceeded the brand's own sales target by 80 percent.

The conversion from short-form to purchase was equally clear. Customers who came to The AtG through short-form content this year spent about 70 percent more per order than the brand's overall average. Orders placed by customers aged 20 to 24 on the CJ OnStyle mobile app also rose 16 percent from the same period last year.

Having confirmed that storytelling-driven content centered on styling and wear experience translates into sales, CJ OnStyle plans to expand its fashion short-form output. The company restructured its organization earlier this year to establish a dedicated Fashion Business Unit, positioning fashion as a core growth category for the platform.

"In fashion, the key is not just product competitiveness but content that makes consumers seek you out first," a CJ OnStyle official said. "We will continue to expand video content that captures the identity and world of various brands, and keep strengthening our touchpoints with customers."