Jeju Island may be known as a volcanic land mass located in South Korea, but it is also the name of a restaurant in China. People are becoming much more familiar with the eatery since it is hocking a controversial promotion that has put it in some hot water. The Jeju Island Restaurant offers free meals to people they judge are beautiful.
As soon as customers enter Jeju Island, they are invited to visit the beauty station that takes their photo. The portrait is sent to a panel of cosmetic surgeons in white coats that judge whether or not they make the cut. In defense of the promotion, Manager Xue Hexin says, “We are a Korean-style restaurant and our customers take great interest in Korea’s culture of plastic surgery." Although frowned upon, the gimmick has generated a lot of publicity for Jeju Island.
What's Driving This Trend
- Beauty-rating Restaurants
- Opportunity for restaurants to implement beauty-rating systems as a unique promotional strategy
- Controversial Promotions
- Growing trend of businesses using controversial promotions to generate publicity and attract customers
- Korean Plastic Surgery Culture
- Increasing interest in Korea's plastic surgery culture, creating opportunities for businesses to cater to this market
Who This Affects Most
- Restaurant Industry
- Restaurants can explore innovative promotional strategies like beauty-rating systems to attract customers and generate buzz
- Marketing Industry
- Marketing agencies can advise businesses on creating controversial promotions that generate publicity and brand awareness
- Cosmetic Surgery Industry
- Cosmetic surgery clinics can tap into the interest in Korea's plastic surgery culture by offering specialized services and packages
