On February, 27, KT&G(president Baek Bok-in)'s 'lil' was named as an excellent brand in the category of cigarette-type e-cigarettes in the "2022 Korea Brand Hall of Fame".

The 'Korea Brand Hall of Fame', which is supervised by the Industrial Policy Research Institute (IPS), is an annual award occasion that selects the brands most loved by consumers. The prize winners are screened and selected for their customer satisfaction and brand value over the past year. KT&G’s 'lil' made a splendid feat: it had won the prize for four straight years from 2019 to this year.

 

Making a debut in Korea in 2017, KT&G's 'lil' has been well received by the consumers for its innovation and technology. With more than 1 million units sold in a year after its launch, ‘lil’ has successfully established itself as an influential e-cigarette brand in the domestic market.

After the initial success, KT&G has released more of its sub-brands including 'lil Plus', 'lil Mini', 'lil Hybrid', and 'lil Solid', expanding its brand portfolio. Until the last year, the cumulative sales of ‘lil’ exceeded 4 million units in Korea alone, reinforcing the brand’s position as Korea's representative cigarette-type e-cigarette brand.

In addition, ‘lil’ is being highly spoken of its brand competitiveness overseas, as well. In January 2020, KT&G signed a supply contract with Philip Morris International (PMI), a global tobacco company, for overseas marketing and sales of 'lil', which has secured a bridgehead for expansion into the global cigarette market.

KT&G commenced selling ‘lil’ in Russia from August 2020, which was followed by Ukraine in September and Japan in October. After then, KT&D expanded its overseas market into Central Asia (e.g., Serbia, Poland, Greece, etc.) and Eastern and Southern Europe. In November, last year, KT&G launched ‘lil’ into Guatemala in Central America and tried market diversification. Only in a year and 4 months after the brand launch, the Korean cigarette company made a great success of exporting to 23 counties.

Lim, Wang-seop, head of KT&G's NGP Business Unit, said, "We built the brand 'lil' on the identity of ‘practical minimalism’ together with systematic technological innovation.” He also added, “We’ll make the brand recognized by the world consumers through developing the products that meet their needs and tastes.