The Seoul Business Agency (SBA), led by CEO Kim Hyun-woo, announced on May 14th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TikTok Korea, focusing on enhancing the global brand marketing capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Seoul. This collaboration aims to provide practical education on TikTok branding and marketing, critical for navigating the increasingly competitive digital landscape.

This partnership builds on previous engagements, with SBA and TikTok Korea planning to establish, by 2025, a direct entrance for a single Korean brand into the North American market, signaling a significant milestone in public-private collaboration. The MOU solidifies the commitment of both organizations to work together, enhancing the marketing readiness of Seoul's SMEs.

Notably, Nobuaki Yasunaga, the Head of Public Policy for Northeast Asia at TikTok, attended the signing ceremony, emphasizing the importance of this partnership in strengthening the global marketing capacity of local businesses through trusted expertise and resources from the TikTok platform.

The core objective of this collaboration is to empower SMEs in Seoul through tailored marketing strategies that leverage TikTok's unique platform for brand marketing and e-commerce, via TikTok Shop. The planned initiatives not only focus on creating engaging short-form content but also provide the foundational skills necessary for effective advertising.

The 'SBA × TikTok Korea SMB Marketing Academy' will offer practical and comprehensive training for SMEs aspiring to engage on TikTok. This program spans eight weeks, comprising 16 hours of instruction, focusing on essential topics such as TikTok advertising fundamentals, performance solutions, creative strategy, and data analysis and optimization.

Eligible participants are SMEs located in Seoul, with the prerequisite that they have no prior advertising experience on TikTok. The application process is available on the SBA website until May 26th, with an anticipated enrollment of approximately 40 companies at no cost to participants.

As the organizer, TikTok Korea will ensure that participating companies receive reliable, actionable insights directly from the platform. Graduates of the program will benefit from additional support, including advertising credits and promotional assistance based on TikTok's internal selection criteria, aimed at enhancing the long-term effectiveness of the training.

CEO Kim Hyun-woo stated, “Through this partnership, we aim to solidify the collaboration between SBA and TikTok Korea, enabling Seoul’s exceptional SMEs to tell their unique brand stories on a global stage through TikTok, ultimately benefiting their international market reach.”