US Korea Hotlink

Rotman MBA Team of Sarah Ong and Sharath Janakiraman Win LPR Global’s 2011 Online Marketing Competition

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:00:43 +0000

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Rotman MBA Team of Sarah Ong and Sharath Janakiraman Win LPR Global’s 2011 Online Marketing Competition

Innovative Online Strategy Excels in Crowded Market

CEO, Mikah Lee, center, with Online Marketing Winners Sharath Janakiraman and Sarah Ong

TORONTO, ONTARIO, November 11, 2011 LPR Global Inc., the Toronto-based marketing consultancy that specializes in South Korean trade with the West, awarded a cash prize to the winning team in a competition that was part of an independent study program conducted with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Now in its third year, the hands-on program is facilitated by LPR Global executives and Rotman professor, Becky Reuber, and sees Rotman MBA students develop real-world, lean marketing strategies for helping exporting manufacturers launch new products into Western markets.

The teams, composed of students from the Rotman MBA program, are each given a different new product from LPR’s US Korea Hotlink initiative and must develop and execute an integrated product launch plan for their specific product. Each team must conduct independent market research then apply their newly learned online marketing skills including search engine optimization, social media integration, web content development, and web analytics to drive their marketing plan.

The 2011 winning team is Sarah Ong and Sharath Janakiraman, who will share a $2,500 prize for their launch of Qnics surveillance systems – a solution set of home, business and military-grade security cameras. The ‘Qnics team’ narrowly beat out tough competition in the two other teams, who covered industrial valves and LED lighting. Although all teams were impressive, the Qnics team of Sarah and Sharath had a particularly daunting task: facing a heavily-saturated, mature security camera market, the team needed to isolate and identify the product’s differentiating factors before they could even begin to devise a marketing strategy. After intense research, the team ultimately determined the product’s differentiation and created a unique marketing strategy driven by the users’ perspective instead of the traditional technology or product-base marketing approach. The team’s innovative strategy, combined with brilliant search engine optimization, has projected the product to the top of the online market in its category.

“Online marketing has become a critical tool – even for industrial manufacturers throughout the world,” said Professor Becky Reuber, who teaches strategic management at The Rotman School of Management. “LPR Global’s online marketing strategies provide the students with a unique and valuable opportunity to learn how to quickly and effectively test the market by launching a new product into western markets while gathering and analyzing real-time marketing analytics.”

“Marketing is a mix of science and creativity,” said Mikah Lee, CEO of LPR Global and also a graduate of the The Rotman MBA program. “Sarah and Sharath did an outstanding job on the mix. Their research was very thorough and their analysis was brilliant. Their strategy had to be creative in order to successfully promote their product in a mature and crowded market. They did a great job.”

About LPR Global, Inc. LPR Global is a marketing consultancy headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with affiliated operations in the US and South Korea. Founded in 2001, LPR Global provides advisory and business development services to companies, government organizations, and professional services firms doing business between South Korean and Western markets. Visit http://www.lprglobal.com or http://www.uskoreahotlink.com Contact: Mike LaTorraca 416-848-3926 info@lprglobal.com

About the Rotman School of Management The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Integrative Thinking. Located in the world’s most diverse city, the Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables the design of creative business solutions. The School is currently raising $200 million to ensure Canada has the world-class business school it deserves. Visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca Contact: Ken McGuffin 416-946-3818 mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca

LPR Global Approved for Support By National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:09:37 +0000

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LPR Global Gains Support of National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

Contribution Expands US Korea Hotlink Platform into Manufacturing Machinery and Security Technology

Toronto, Ontario, August 25, 2011 – LPR Global Inc., the Toronto-based marketing consultancy that specializes in South Korean trade with the West announced today that it received a development financial contribution from the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to further develop its US Korea Hotlink Platform. The contribution recognizes LPR Global’s innovative tools for use in export trade as well as its positive impact to the local Canadian economy. LPR Global will use the contribution toward expanding the US Korea Hotlink Platform http://www.uskoreahotlink.com into the manufacturing and machinery markets while increasing its efforts in security technology.

Founded in 2009, US Korea Hotlink offers South Korean high-potential emerging technology firms sophisticated online and offline marketing services and applications that connect them with customers and partners throughout the world.

“We’re thrilled and honoured to learn that US Korea Hotlink is recognized and supported by such a prestigious organization as NRC-IRAP. Innovation is the key to unlocking the full potential of Canada and we are working hard to make our own unique contribution”, commented by Mikah Lee, CEO of LPR Global, Inc.

About LPR Global, Inc. LPR Global is a strategic consultancy headquartered in Toronto, ON with affiliated operations in the US and South Korea. Founded in 2001, LPR Global provides advisory and business development services to companies, government organizations, and professional services firms doing business between South Korean and Western markets. Visit http://www.lprglobal.com or http://www.uskoreahotlink.com Contact: MikeLaTorraca 416-423-5590 info@lprglobal.com

LPR Global CEO Mikah Lee Profiled on YTN Television

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:28:51 +0000

News For Immediate Release

LPR Global’s Mikah Lee Profiled on YTN Television

Seoul, South Korea, June 18, 2011 – LPR Global’s CEO, Mikah Lee was profiled by YTN, South Korea’s principal 24-hour cable news network. You can view Ms. Lee’s profile below.

LPR Global’s CEO, Mikah Lee Profiled on YTN Television

LPR Global Wins 2011 Excellence Award from Korean Government Agency

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:28:18 +0000

News For Immediate Release

LPR Global Wins 2011 Excellence Award from Korean Government Agency

Mikah Lee, CEO, LPR Global (fourth from left) Holds Korea’s 2011 SMBA Excellence Award

LPR Global Tops Rankings of International Consulting Firms and Adds Certification as SMBA Premium Consulting Services Provider

Toronto, Ontario, April 20, 2011 – LPR Global announced today that Korea’s Small & Medium Business Administration (www.smba.go.kr), awarded the company its 2011 Excellence Award for providing outstanding marketing services to Korean manufacturers in the machinery and security technology industries. LPR Global was one of only four firms to receive this year’s award out of over 150 candidates worldwide. The selection committee consisting of officials from South Korea’s principal overseas marketing organizations — SMBA and the Small Business Corporation (SBC) – also announced that LPR Global ranked number one in export revenue generated and client satisfaction for its South Korean manufacturing clients operating in North America. LPR Global received the award on March 30, 2011 at a reception in Seoul.

On the same day, LPR Global was awarded certification by SMBA to Premium Consulting Services Provider an The designation certifies LPR Global to provide market enablement services, representation, professional and advisory services to the high-potential emerging Korean manufacturers and technology providers certified by the Korean government.

SMBA is the South Korean federal government body, whose mandate is to support Korean small to medium sized companies’ growth, technology development, export and overseas partnerships. LPR Global has been certified by SMBA as a ‘Level A’ overseas consulting services provided since 2006 prior to today’s elevation to Premium Consulting Services Provider.

LPR Global was ranked number one in North America and one of only four out of the 150 international firms competing for the prestigious designation of SMBA Premium Consulting Services Provider for their respective countries worldwide. The scoring process highlighted LPR Global’s long-time marketing track record including helping: Woojin Engineering Co., Ltd, an automotive muffler making machine manufacturer, win Tenneco as its global client, iSys Co. Ltd, a PVD coating machine manufacturer, achieve it’s first installations and sales in Turkey, and the launch in 2009 of www.uskoreahotlink.com, LPR Global’s online/offline marketing platform for leading Korean security and communications manufacturers.

“We are excited to be extending and deepening our relationship with LPR Global and we look forward to benefiting from LPR’s innovative marketing strategies for years to come”, stated Dong Sun Kim, Administrator for SMBA

“We are very honored and grateful to SMBA and SBC for recognizing our services and success. And we are most thankful for our Korean clients’ success who continue to provide many of the world’s highest quality products and most innovative technologies that help make our job just a little bit easier,” commented Mikah Lee, LPR Global CEO.

LPR Global’s Innovative US Korea Trade Services Featured in The Globe and Mail

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:27:39 +0000

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LPR Global’s Innovative US Korea Trade Services Featured in The Globe and Mail

Mikah Lee, founder and CEO of LPR Global

How to Pitch New Services to Clients

BECKY REUBER

THE CHALLENGE

Reprinted from The Globe and Mail – March 17, 2011

What should you do when your industry is changing rapidly and your clients are not aware of the new services they should be asking for?

It’s a challenge for many service firms because yesterday’s state-of-the-art practices are becoming outdated in a business environment increasingly dominated by the Internet. One company that has faced this challenge is LPR Global, a consulting firm that specializes in international trade and business development between South Korea and the rest of the world.

LPR Global’s clients were accustomed to paying for conventional marketing services, and they found it hard to understand the value of online tools such as search engine optimization and web analytics. “We can’t only provide them with what has worked well in the past,” says LPR Global’s founder and CEO Mikah Lee. “For our clients to be successful, we have to give them tools for the future.”

How do you convince your clients to buy something new from you?

THE BACKGROUND

Ms. Lee founded LPR Global in 2001 to provide consulting services to South Korean companies, mostly high-tech small and medium-sized businesses interested in expanding into foreign markets. Ms. Lee’s background spans South Korea and North America, so she is ideally suited for this role. Born and educated in Korea, she is a bestselling author there with two books targeted to Korean managers who want to improve their written English.

She started LPR Global after completing an MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a stint at Brightspark, a Toronto-based venture capital firm. Her company is accredited by the South Korean government as well-qualified to help technology-based firms enter foreign markets, and it has hundreds of customers.

In the past few years, as web marketing has become more important, LPR Global has developed new online services, including customized web analytics. A challenge was getting customers to try them.

THE SOLUTION

“In order to change client perceptions, you have to target both the influencers and your target market,” Ms. Lee says.

Influencers are the organizations that have impact on client perceptions, such as technical and trade associations, and government agencies. Since their mandate is to educate their members, they are interested in learning about new ways to do things and passing them on. Ms. Lee helps them fulfill this mandate by offering to put on seminars about online marketing. An early one she did for electronics giant LG was very well received and it gave her credibility and subsequent invitations to other prestigious speaking events.

In order to influence her target market directly, Ms. Lee started by getting an endorsement from a business in South Korea. She deliberately picked a highly reputable, long-standing client, and offered to provide it with a free online marketing platform, in addition to the conventional marketing services they were paying for.

“We had worked with them for three years, so they trusted us,” Ms. Lee explains. “As well, our offer was risk free. They didn’t have to pay anything and they didn’t have to use the new platform if they didn’t like it.”

The client loved it and gave LPR Global’s online marketing services a strong endorsement. Because the client was so well-regarded, that endorsement was influential in encouraging other clients to ask for the new services LPR Global could provide.

To get prestigious speaking engagements and great endorsements, however, you have to be sure the novel services you’re offering actually make a difference. Since practice in the online marketing world is changing so rapidly, achieving high quality requires paying considerable attention to monitoring and assessing these changes. Ms. Lee estimates that she spends 20 per cent of the firm’s resources on this.

THE RESULT

Ms. Lee’s new online service offerings and her two-pronged strategy of educating her client base has proven to be successful. The South Korean clients are happy because the new online marketing tools have increased their sales revenue by an average of 30 per cent. LPR Global’s revenue has increased by almost 50 per cent.

Of the roughly 150 consulting companies worldwide accredited by the South Korean government to help small and medium-sized businesses enter foreign markets, LPR Global has been designated one of the top seven, the only firm in North America to receive this designation. As well, LPR Global’s new expertise in online marketing has enabled the company to start selling products online itself. Not only has this increased and diversified the company’s revenue stream, it has also given Ms. Lee and her team a better understanding of client needs.

Special to The Globe and Mail

Becky Reuber is a professor of strategic management in the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. This is the latest in a regular series of case studies by a rotating group of business professors from across the country. Article Copyright 2011 The Globe and Mail.

The Toronto Star Profiles Mikah Lee During International Women’s Day

mike — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:25:34 +0000

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The Toronto Star Profiles Mikah Lee During
International Women’s Day

TORONTO, ONTARIO, March 8, 2011 – From the Toronto Star Front Page Business Section

Mikah Lee, CEO of LPR Global, a business to business marketing firm.

Photo Credit © TANNIS TOOHEY/TORONTO STAR

Vanessa Lu Business Reporter

5 Who Made it to the Top

Venessa Lu Talks to Some Woman Bosses Who Broke Through The Glass Ceiling

Mikah Lee, 42, came to Canada from her native South Korea for love. While her marriage to a Canadian didn’t last, her love affair with Toronto did.

A decade ago, Lee founded LPR Global, a company focused on helping South Korean firms operate in North America, everything from selling DVR recording devices to precision machinery for auto parts companies.

A born entrepreneur, she majored in English education at home, started a language school for children there and sold it after five years.

“When I came here, the only option seemed to be a secretary,” Lee said, adding she isn’t detailed oriented and would be a terrible assistant. So she got her MBA at Rotman, and did a stint with Brightspark, a venture capital firm, before founding her own firm.

“It is good to be a woman in business in Canada. There are so many women who are willing to help you,” Lee said. “What’s best is nobody looks down on me.”

Back in Korea, Lee once interviewed for a job at electronics giant Samsung and was asked what she would do if a male co-worker asked her to make him coffee.

“I was furious, and I said my parents didn’t spend thousands of dollars for me to make coffee for a co-worker,” she said. Needless to say, Lee didn’t get that job.

Xinxin Li, Justin Mathena, and Yan Wang Win LPR Global’s 2010 Online Marketing Competition at the Rotman School of Management

dcstudent — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:23:52 +0000

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Xinxin Li, Justin Mathena, and Yan Wang Win LPR Global’s 2010 Online Marketing Competition at the Rotman School of Management

Team’s Innovative Online Strategy Launches 3D Scanner Technology into North America

TORONTO, ONTARIO, December 2, 2010 LPR Global Inc., the Toronto-based marketing consultancy that specializes in South Korean trade with the West, awarded a cash prize to the winning team in a competition that was part of an independent study program conducted with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. For the second summer in a row LPR Global executives together with Professor Becky Reuber facilitated a project of hands-on, real-world exploration designed to create online marketing strategies for new advanced surveillance, detector, and communications products from top South Korean manufacturers as part of LPR Global’s US Korea Hotlink trade initiative http://www.uskoreahotlink.com. Each team, composed of students from the Rotman MBA program, were given a new product that they then had to develop and execute an integrated product launch plan based on their independent market research and then apply their newly learned online marketing skills such as search engine optimization, web content development, and web analytics to drive their marketing plan.

Xinxin Li, MBA’11, Justin Mathena, MBA’11, and Yan Wang, MBA’11 collaborated to develop a marketing strategy for an emerging 3D Scanning technology being introduce into North America and Europe. They faced the challenge of taking a product with no name recognition or brand identity or even a Western market customer base and created a successful online and offline go-to-market strategy to reach their audience. In addition to new business leads generated by their web strategy, six weeks after the ISP formally ended LPR Global was still scheduling meetings with key national resellers and partners that the team identified and contacted as critical prospects to facilitate the 3D scanner’s North American market adoption. Ms. Li, Mr. Mathena, Ms. Wang will share a $2,500 prize.

“The project was a wonderful opportunity for the students,” said Becky Reuber, a professor of strategic management at the Rotman School. “It gave them a real context to learn about industry analysis, international business and new product introduction. And LPR Global provided a great learning environment.”

“This year’s Independent Study Program winners developed a very effective marketing strategy that cut through the marketplace’s clutter and enabled them to reach their targeted audience based on their outstanding research; their work was greatly appreciated by our clients,” stated Mikah Lee, CEO of LPR Global and graduate of the Rotman MBA program.

Mikah Lee’s Guide to Business Email for Korean Business Leaders Reaches Number 1 on Naver — Enters 6th Printing

mike — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:23:01 +0000

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Mikah Lee’s Guide to Business Email for Korean Business Leaders Reaches Number 1 on Naver — Enters 6th Printing

Business Email That Lays Golden Eggs To Be Translated into Chinese

Mikah Lee (right), signs copies of Business Email that Lays Golden Eggs at the Washington, DC Convention Center

TORONTO, ONTARIO, August 20, 2010 — LPR Global Inc., the Toronto-based international consultancy announced today that CEO, Mikah Lee’s book, Business Email That Lays Golden Eggs continues to climb up the charts both online and in traditional book stores. Currently the book is the most searched Business English book on Naver – South Korea’s largest portal site on the World Wide Web. Kyobo Books, Seoul’s largest traditional book store, has listed Business Email That Lays Golden Eggs as a best seller in its Business English Language category since the book’s first appearance in 2008.

Business Email That Lays Golden Eggs has begun to find a much wider audience of non-English speaking business people that want to learn how to communicate better through email. The book, scheduled 6th printing in Korea, is being translated into Chinese. The book is scheduled to be released in Taiwan in 2011, targeting China’s bourgeoning population of business professionals doing business with the West.

About LPR Global, Inc. LPR Global is a strategic consultancy headquartered in Toronto, ON with affiliated operations in the US and South Korea. Founded in 2001, LPR Global provides advisory and business development services to companies, government organizations, and professional services firms doing business between South Korean and Western markets. Visit http://www.lprglobal.com or http://www.uskoreahotlink.com Contact: Mike LaTorraca 416-848-3926 info@lprglobal.com

LPR Global Announces Winners of Online Marketing Competition for University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management

mike — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:21:19 +0000

LPR Global Announces Winners of Online Marketing Competition for University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management

Suhas Swamy and Raghunath Ramachandra Share Prize for Innovative Online Marketing

TORONTO, ONTARIO, October 15, 2009, — LPR Global Inc., the Toronto-based international consultancy that specializes in South Korean business ventures, awarded a cash prize to the winning team in an independent study program conducted with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management during the past summer. The program was facilitated by LPR Global executives to explore online marketing strategies for new advanced security technology products being introduced in Western markets from South Korean manufacturers as part of their US Korea Hotlink initiative http://www.uskoreahotlink.com. Each team, composed of students from the Rotman MBA program, selected a security product and was required to develop and execute an integrated product launch plan based on their independent market research and using online marketing skills such as search engine optimization, web content development, and sophisticated web analytics.

Suhas Swamy, MBA’10, and Raghunath Ramachandra MBA’10, joined forces to market a new, innovative IP network surveillance camera. Their insightful and practical research combined with their search engine optimization strategy generated instant market recognition from around the globe including Fortune 500 buyers and regional resellers. Mr. Swamy and Mr. Ramachandra will share the $2,500 prize.

“From the School’s perspective, it was wonderful opportunity for the students to sharpen their Integrative Thinking and entrepreneurial skills,” said Becky Reuber, a professor of strategic management at the Rotman School. “In order to successfully launch these products in foreign markets, the students had to apply and integrate what they had learned about marketing, economics, information technology, international business and strategic management.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to provide this award and to have had the opportunity to work with Professor Reuber, the MBA candidates, and the Rotman School of Management. All the teams did an outstanding job and they should be proud of their achievements and participation in this innovative program,” stated Mikah Lee, CEO of LPR Global and graduate of the Rotman MBA program.

LPR Global Launches US KOREA HOTLINK to Link Top South Korean Security Technology Firms to the West

mike — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:22:25 +0000

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LPR Global Launches US KOREA HOTLINK to Link Top South Korean Security Technology Firms to the West

Ten Surveillance, Detector and Communications Firms Initiate New Program

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA September 21, 2009, — LPR Global Inc. unveiled a new trade initiative to assist Korean security technology firms with their global expansion plans. Named US Korea Hotlink, the program offers an innovative platform of services tailored to the unique requirements of Korean companies seeking to meet the challenges of overseas markets by providing English language marketing, sales channel development, and customer support services in both offline and online environments. US Korea Hotlink goes way beyond traditional foreign web marketplaces and ecommerce sites that just provide company listings and limited content. US Korea Hotlink manages all critical aspects of the sales and marketing process locally as a fully integrated component of the overseas supplier’s strategy.

Ten Korean security technology firms along with the South Korean Government’s Small Business Corporation signed on as charter members to launch the program.

“The web has made the world a small place but overseas buyers and prospects still feel more comfortable doing business locally in their own language and customs whenever possible. US Korea Hotlink provides that comfort level by offering buyers and sellers – regardless of their geographic location – the ability to do business in the language and style that they are familiar with simultaneously”, commented Mikah Lee, LPR Global CEO.

“US Korea Hotlink helps our client companies reach new customers and prospects in the markets that they serve and it helps North American buyers find quality Korean security technology solutions and partners,” stated Mr. Jang, Duk Bok, Director Small Business Corporation of South Korea.

US Korea Hotlink’s Charter Members Include:

Kimin Electronics – Commercial LCD TVs

M-Vision – Portable UV LED Counterfeit Detectors

Junsung Tech – Portable Voice Amplification Systems and Hands-Free Megaphones

ID Fone Co., Ltd. – Kaishot Mobile Wireless DVR with Embedded GPS

Pittasoft Co., Ltd – IP Network Cameras; Network Video Recorders

Securenics Inc. – Intelligent Virtual Fence Systems; Electric Charge Sensor Fences

Joeun Safe Corporation – Taut Wire Sensor Fences

Winy Technology – Palm-size DVRs; Optical Systems Devices
KPROTECH – Technically Advanced Digital Video Recorders

Shinhan Photonics – Fiber Optic Components; Fiber Optic Adapters, Fiber Optic Cables

About LPR Global, Inc.

LPR Global, Inc., is a strategic consultancy headquartered in Toronto, ON with affiliated operations in the US and South Korea. Founded in 2001, LPR Global provides advisory and business development services to companies, government organizations, and professional services firms doing business between South Korean and Western markets. For more information please visit www.lprglobal.com or www.uskoreahotlink.com.

Contact: Mike LaTorraca, US Director, LPR Global, 416-848-3926 info@lprglobal.com