Creating New Content through Traditional Cultural IP, Strategies for Success
파인특허
September 5, 2024
.png)
In today’s fast-paced content industry, fresh ideas and stories are constantly in demand. From entertainment companies to drama producers, webtoon creators, game developers, and startups, all are tasked with producing unique content that stands out in an ever-evolving market. To succeed, having original concepts and a well-constructed world is essential. This is where traditional culture can serve as a powerful creative tool. With its rich history of stories and values, reinterpreting traditional culture as intellectual property (IP) opens new avenues for content creation.
Traditional culture is a valuable cultural asset, familiar to people for generations. Myths, legends, and classic literature have formed emotional bonds with audiences, offering a well-established foundation for new IP without the need to build a universe from scratch. For creators, such as webtoon writers or game developers, one of the challenges in early stages is crafting stories that are both intriguing and accessible to readers or users. Traditional culture inherently offers well-developed narratives.
For example, integrating Korean folklore into webtoons or using it as the basis for a game’s storyline allows for modern characters and plots built upon familiar stories. This approach can significantly enhance content visibility and recognition. Additionally, many traditional stories, such as folktales, are not subject to copyright restrictions, meaning they can be used freely without incurring extra costs—a significant advantage for webtoon creators or startups facing financial constraints. Without legal issues to worry about, creators can focus more on storytelling and creative expression.
Traditional stories carry with them a sense of authority and trust, having been passed down through generations. These narratives, embedded with timeless philosophies and values, resonate emotionally with audiences, creating connections that transcend time and culture. When startups or new content companies develop IP based on traditional culture, the characters and stories can be imbued with profound meaning, strengthening their narratives.
Take, for instance, iconic characters like the Monkey King (Sun Wukong) or dokkaebi (Korean goblins). They symbolize universal human values such as justice, freedom, and sacrifice. Even when reinterpreted for modern content, these values remain intact, enabling creators to build narratives that deeply resonate with contemporary audiences.
In today’s competitive content market, originality is key. With countless webtoons, games, and video content competing for attention, undifferentiated content risks being forgotten. By turning traditional culture into IP, creators can tap into unique symbols and stories, offering a distinct form of storytelling.
A successful example is the Korean drama Goblin, which reimagined traditional Korean folklore, creating a captivating story that resonated globally. Traditional culture can thus reflect the uniqueness of a nation or region while also offering fresh appeal in international markets. For new webtoon creators or game developers, drawing on traditional culture provides a strategic advantage in quickly establishing a differentiated IP.
While traditional culture is rooted in a specific country or region, its universal values make it a powerful asset in global markets. By modernizing traditional stories and creating IP from them, creators can access broader, international audiences. Characters like the Monkey King have been adapted into various global forms and have achieved success worldwide.
Cultural exchange and localization efforts can further elevate content based on traditional culture in global markets. For example, Journey to the West was adapted into the Japanese anime Dragon Ball, becoming a global hit. Similarly, traditional cultural elements from any country can be expanded into global content. Webtoon creators and startups can combine traditional elements with modern technology, creating strategies to enter international markets.
For new webtoon creators, game companies, and startups, traditional culture is a powerful tool for content creation. By modernizing the values and stories embedded in these cultural assets, creators can stand out in a fast-changing content industry. Additionally, traditional culture has the potential to reach global audiences, especially when combined with technology to explore new creative possibilities.
Rather than viewing traditional culture as a relic of the past, content creators should recognize its potential to evolve into future-oriented stories. This approach not only lays the foundation for new and innovative IP but also sets the stage for success in the next generation of the content market.
