Pointful Korea, the cigarette brand owned by International Korea Tobacco (IKT), is set to introduce new products, including an Icenova capsule, at the upcoming TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition in Singapore.
A first-time exhibitor at the event (Basement 2, B37), Pointful Korea aims to become a major player in the cigarettes category globally. IKT believes that travel retail can play a key role in attaining that ambition.*
As reported, Pointful Korea underlined its travel retail growth aspirations by becoming a Diamond Sponsor of last year’s MEADFA Conference in Bahrain. The independent Korean company was founded in 1998 and is led by 100% Owner and President Dae-Yoon Kang.
International Korea Tobacco Manager/Business Department Zane Kang believes Pointful Korea has to offer aclear unique selling point (USP) to capture the interest of travel retailers and travelling consumers.
Pointful Korea’s Icenova capsule cigarette offers a refreshing spearmint flavour and, according to Kang, is customised to suit young consumers and “smokers who want a cool inhalation”. Other new Pointful Korea lines set for the Singapore spotlight include King Size, Super Slim and Super Slim Capsule.
Kang said Pointful Korea has focused on preferred tastes, rich aromas, softness of inhalation, good price points and a modern image in developing its new lines.
“Developing a new product has never been an easy decision,” he said. “We were latecomers to the cigarette category, so it was obvious that we needed the USP that allows consumers to choose our products instead of other existing brands. Therefore, we put a lot of time and effort into it.”
Kang said the brand will focus on localisation and develop lines to satisfy evolving customer demands.
Pointful Korea’s decision to take part in the TFWA Asia Pacific event was prompted by the post-COVID increase in travel and product consumption.
“Having the opportunity to create new business partners makes good business sense for us, but we have bigger goals,” Kang said. “We want all the distributors and visitors at the exhibition to see and experience our brand. We created our products to be competitive against other companies in all aspects that brand owners can consider. If there was any inferiority to other brands in terms of the product quality, price and design, we would not have walked the path of a latecomer in the first place.
“We believe that Pointful Korea will be the best from every aspect, and the results will soon be recognised by consumers around the world.
“Our passion to be the best is what gives us motivation. The whole world is our market and every customer who can smoke is our target,” he added.
Strong ESG commitment
According to the IKT website, the company plans to evolve as a globally-competitive tobacco company through expanding its production facilities and through sound ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) credentials. “We will do our best for the public good of society and develop into a company that pursues our philosophy of ‘common good’,” the company said.
*Click here for an interview with International Korea Tobacco Director Dae-Young Jung on Pointful Korea’s progress in travel retail. 
