Pepero (Korean: 빼빼로), also "chocolate-covered pretzel stick", is a thin cookie stick with compound chocolate dipped in the outer layer. Pepero is manufactured by Lotte Wellfood[1] in South Korea since 1983.[2] Cocoa mass and flour are the key components to make a package of Pepero. It is exported to about 64 countries worldwide and especially popular in Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines.[3] Pepero has been awarded numerous times in sales and designs.[4]
Flavors
As of 2021, Pepero is manufactured in several flavors:
Chocolate (Original)
Strawberry (Only Korea)
Almond (coated with chocolate)
Choco-filled (chocolate in the center with a biscuit coating on the outside; the other way around from an original chocolate pepero)
Nude cream cheese
White Cookie
Peanut (only US)
Haenam Sweet potatoes (would be available later in Korea)
Haenam Green Tea
Choco Cookie
Crunky
Crunky Granola
Lotte also released a new version of Pepero, Pepero skinny, which is thinner and is "more crispy." It's not available now.
Marketing
The most prominent marketing strategy that Lotte Confectionery Corporation implements is held annually on November 11. The marketing strategy company takes improves every year.[5] Due to the COVID-19, sales have been difficult.[6] Hence, the company made an adjustment in marketing by live broadcast and delivery.[7] Lotte Confectionery Corporation launched an exotic ice cream ‘Pepero-bar’ in limited time.[8] Ice cream ‘Pepero-bar’ has used the originality feature of Pepero by covering with almond and displaying “Pepero friends” character as packaging to attract consumers.[9]
Sales
About 60% of the annual Pepero sales occur around Pepero Day, which is held on November 11.[10] Pepero sales have reached a record high of about 1.1 trillion won in terms of supply prices until 2016. Pepero has successfully settled in the market by advertising Pepero Day.[11] On average, Pepero's daily sales on Pepero Day are about 84 times higher than usual.[12] Lotte Confectionery Corporation actively participates in social contribution with its profits on Pepero since the sales increase every year. The major export regions such as Singapore, China, Russia, and the United States play a big stake in Pepero's sales.[13]
The company donates Pepero to needy neighbors and social organizations.[19] With its record sales and profits, Lotte contributes to establish the local children’s center.[20]
Criticism
Pepero has been criticized for copying Pocky, which has been manufactured by Japan's Ezaki Glico Company since 1966.[21][22][23][24] Lotte denies that it was inspired by the product.[25][26] The Pocky product was introduced over 17 years before in the market. Ezaki Glico’s Pocky and Lotte Confectionery’s Pepero have a long history and known as rival companies in chocolate-covered stick (pretzel). Since the content of Pocky and Pepero is the same, it is difficult to distinguish the difference between the two products. Ezaki Glico filed a lawsuit against Lotte Confectionery about the trademark, and the shape of the originality of Pocky since Pocky has entered the United States market before Lotte Confectionery’s Pepero. Lotte Confectionery could design partially chocolate-based snacks in a different shape from Pocky. However, the court saw that only this factor could not offset the functionality of Pocky's design. Lotte Confectionery Corporation won the case because the judge concluded that Pocky’s product appearance cannot be protected by trade dress due to its functionality.[27]
In 2014, Glico sued Lotte which allegedly copied packaging box design of Glico's Baton d'or exclusive series of Pocky and Pretz for Lotte's new product Premier Pepero.[28] On 14 August 2015, Seoul district court ruled that Lotte stole the box design of Glico's products and the ruling is expected to force Lotte to halt its sales of the product and dispose of the existing stock.[29]
On July 10, 2015, Glico filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court against Lotte USA for infringing on the trademarks of Pocky. Glico had registered the Pocky's three-dimensional trademarks prior to the launch of Pepero in the U.S.[30]
Pocky was first released by Ezaki Glico, a Japanese confectionery company, in 1966, 17 years before the introduction of Pepero.
Pepero Day
The date is set to November 11, annually. Farmer’s Day is also held in November 11 and referred it as a Garae Tteok Day.[31] Pepero Day was derived from a middle school girl student in Yeongnam district of South Korea.[32] They exchanged Pepero by saying “Let’s be tall and skinny” with well-wishing remarks.[33] Nowadays, couples make Pepero or purchase it from the market in exchange with their gratitude to convey affection.[34] As Pepero day comes to date, the sales of manufacturing companies drastically increase.[35]
^Park, Tae-Hee (November 7, 2013). "Glico finds partner for Korean market". Korea JoongAng Daily. JoongAng Ilbo. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
^"Japan and South Korea argue over a chocolate-covered pretzel stick". The Washington Post. November 11, 2015. Lotte Confectionery, a South Korean food company, started making a similar product — while denying it had copied Pocky — called Pepero in 1983.
^Gale, Alastair (November 11, 2013). "On Pepero Day, a Japanese Rival Lurks". Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
^"포키-빼빼로의 6년간 상표 분쟁 막 내려 - 투자진출 - KOTRA 해외시장뉴스". news.kotra.or.kr. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
^"EZAKI GLICO : Glico sues S. Korea's Lotte over "copied" packaging design". 4-traders.com. 26 December 2014. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014.
^"Court rules Lotte copied rival's snack design". The Korea Herald. August 23, 2015.
^"Inadmissible: Company Accused of Trademark Infringement, Rapper 50 Cent Doesn't Have 50 Cents, Files for Bankruptcy". New Jersey Law Journal. July 16, 2015.
^"11월11일은 '가래떡데이'". Newsis (in Korean). 2020-11-10. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^"[잊지마, 기념일] 11월 11일 빼빼로데이의 기원은 다이어트?". 아시아타임즈 (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^"2019년 11월 11일, 빼빼로데이·가래떡데이…유래와 의미는?". 이투데이 (in Korean). 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^"빼빼로데이 맞이 연인을 위한 이色 선물 3종류 추천". 문화뉴스 (in Korean). 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
^"Pepero Day, Lotte's sales increased by 76%". Money Today (in Korean). 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
