An Interview with KRAFTON Publishing Group Publishing Business Development Dept.
Business Development (BD) is an opaque term for most. Is it somehow related to sales? Or is it talking about planning new business projects? What does the business development team do at a video game company? We met with Brian Park, head of the Publishing Business Development Dept. at KRAFTON, to answer all these questions that we’d been wondering about. Brian defines the work of business development as “striving to help the brand value grow, instead of simply making more sales.” Let’s hear more, and you may find this topic interesting as you learn more about business development at KRAFTON.
Hello! Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi. I’m Brian Park, head of the Publishing Business Development Dept.
What are the key roles in the Publishing Business Development Dept.?
Under the Publishing Group, we’re in charge of developing business projects that utilize intellectual property (IP) owned by KRAFTON. For example, we work on IP collaborations projects, such as the recent collaboration between PUBG MOBILE and BLACKPINK, as well as communications with various platforms such as social networking services, Google, and Apple. Additionally, we lead the development of new projects that involve NFTs and metaverses.
Can you share some interesting experiences you’ve had while working on these projects?
Most trending brands these days create their own brand value through collaborations, and likewise, KRAFTON also engages in a variety of collaboration projects. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS has its own unique flavor, so we partner with IPs that have different identities to create a diverse range of experiences.
A key example would be our collaboration project with the K-pop group BLACKPINK. As forerunners of the battle royale genre, we considered which partners would be best suited to the concept of a virtual concert. Since PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is a global IP, we reviewed a number of top-tier global artists. Ultimately, we decided that it would be best to partner with global K-pop artists since PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS itself is a Korean brand that also has a global presence. Our BLACKPINK partnership became a collaborative endeavor with the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS IP, launching simultaneously across the PC, consoles, and mobile platforms.
That sounds like a global project on a massive scale.
It’s not easy collaborating with a global brand. There are so many obstacles. There are times when our needs don’t align with the needs of our partners, and we also need to convince people within our company about the importance of initiating these collaborations. It requires so much communication, but the sense of achievement upon seeing the final outcome is difficult to put into words. Since there aren’t many opportunities to collaborate with a global brand while working in Korea, it feels incredibly rewarding.
I heard that all projects under the Publishing Business Development Dept. are global.
That’s right. Even when we collaborate with Korean partners, we do things on a global scale. Instead of limiting ourselves to a specific region, we target the entire world. That makes international affairs our main function, so English communication is often essential. For example, one of our team members works remotely from the Santa Monica office in the United States.
I’d like to know more about the positions that are currently open within the Publishing Business Development Dept.
We’re currently recruiting for two positions. The first is a role that focuses on communications with platforms and business operations in collaboration with mobile platforms such as Google and Apple. As platforms contribute significantly to projects managed by KRAFTON, we’re prioritizing candidates with experience in platform communications. For the second position, we’re looking for candidates with keen insight into brand collaborations, new business opportunities, and the latest trends.
What are the core competencies that members of the Publishing Business Development Dept. need?
The most valuable skill is communication. It’s important to think things over ten times before you say it out loud. Whenever you speak, you have the potential to impact several different organizations. Consequently, we have to be careful when we communicate. It’s also very important to know how to work with others. Our job isn’t simply about selling IPs. It’s important to cooperate with both internal and external stakeholders, and in most cases, we thrive on teamwork as opposed to individual competencies. We need to cooperate with so many people just to organize a single collaboration. Negotiation skills are also essential when we sign contracts with other companies. Sometimes, we may encounter unexpected issues, so you need to react and handle the situation appropriately.
Since you work on a global scale, I imagine that English proficiency is also a necessity.
Basic English proficiency is a must. In terms of speaking and listening, you have to be able to express yourself clearly and and your counterpart needs to fully understand what you’re saying. Also, you must be able to read and review contracts in English. That’s a difficult task, even for native English speakers, if you don’t have experience with legal documents. It’s important to be able to understand the context of an English-language contracts and draft contracts so that it reflects our intentions. As a result, we prefer candidates who have relevant experience.
Going back to what you said about the importance of teamwork, I’d like to learn more about the work culture within the Publishing Business Development Dept.
We encourage team members to proactively plan and lead a wide variety of initiatives. For example, a collaboration with a specific brand may be successful, but we won’t use it as the only benchmark for success and apply it across the board for all other projects. This is not a feasible approach because we work with so many brands and IPs from different industries and genres. We also don’t assign one team member to a specific category or industry. I think it’s important for all team members to gain experience working with a variety of partners and develop their potential with these diverse opportunities.
It seems like there’s a high degree of freedom with regard to roles and responsibilities.
It’s commonly accepted that not every opportunity will be realized in business development. There are so many variables. We have to sell the proposal internally and accommodate our collab partners’ requirements. So while we’re given freedom and opportunities, we also need to work with a sense of responsibility.
You said that you collaborate with a wide range of industries, so can you tell us more about your team members’ backgrounds?
Most members of our team have experience in business development within the video game industry. While relevant experience would help in terms of understanding the work involved, our team doesn’t require everyone to have experience in the game industry. We welcome everyone from all backgrounds, since we work with partners from various industries. For example, those with business development experience in the fashion or entertainment industries can work and have synergy with us as long as they have a clear specialty.
In your opinion, what are the appeals of being a member of the Publishing Business Development Dept.?
We’re able to grow tremendously within a short period of time. Business development requires not only effective communication but also knowledge of the overall development process. As a result, we have to be proactive and study trends when we’re assigned to new projects. It’s a line of work where there is unlimited professional growth. I believe that it’s an exceptional role for any workaholic who has passion for their job.
I’m curious about the Publishing Business Development Dept.’s future goals and plans.
We’re past the era when games were just games. Games now function as platform, so it’s necessary to collaborate with a broader range of partners to raise the value of our games. We’ll continue to plan and implement such projects. I believe that we’ll get even better since KRAFTON is servicing an increasing number of games. We need to build credibility and capitalize on any opportunities by communicating as a single brand KRAFTON instead of representing each individual studio. To achieve this objective, we need keep building our capacity to develop new projects. Our goal is to grow our organization through this process.
Before we wrap up, I’d like you to say a word for those who are interested in the open positions at the Publishing Business Development Dept. We welcome anyone who is interested in taking lead and working on something fun. There are many companies involved in collaborations with video game companies to create content genre. While these companies focus on either production, management, business development, and live services, I believe that KRAFTON is the only place where you can experience it all. We’re the only video game company in Korea that actively collaborates with global brands. I’m eager to meet new colleagues who love video games and are dedicated and proud of their career.
