煙草在線據《韓國時報》報道編譯　　韓國的領先卷煙制造商KT&G，依然是超過國際巨頭的當地市場的領頭羊。去年，該公司擁有62%的市場份額。

　　即使政府于1988年開放了煙草行業，但是該公司的地位從未丟給全球的競爭對手，包括菲莫國際、英美煙草和日煙國際公司在內。

　　KT&G把其競爭力歸結為優質產品和海外銷售的增長。

　　“我們非常自豪，我們做得很好，從來沒有向全球競爭者丟過市場份額，”KT&G在一份新聞稿中表示。

　　據該公司介紹，當一個國家的卷煙市場自由地開放進行競爭時，保持這樣的地位很罕見。

　　例如，當西班牙公司在2007年并入帝國煙草集團時，它的市場份額下降了20%。在土耳其，于2008年Tekel公司賣給英美煙草時，其市場份額下跌了30%。

　　KT&G努力保持其產品的質量，包括旗艦品牌：This、時間、愛喜、季節和傲貓。

　　生產過程的每一步都進行監控，在確認銷售之前，要兩次仔細地檢查產品。質量控制經理要在每包煙上打印他們的名字，來保證其質量。

　　“這樣的政策，向我們的顧客保證我們只賣最好的產品，”KT&G的一名官員說。

　　該公司還提出了新的創新產品。其中之一是傲貓咖啡，傲貓系列中一個新的榛子咖啡味卷煙。

　　KT&G的國際銷售額也提高了，在2012年飆升至6.34億美元，比2000年的3.7萬美元增長了1713%。在其海外銷售的品牌中，愛喜主導著世界超細市場，僅去年一年在全世界的銷售額就超過了500億支。

　　這家壟斷著煙草和人參市場的前國有公司，自從它在2002年被私有化后，將其業務擴展至房地產、食品和飲料、生物技術和醫藥產品。

　　其銷售額從2002年的2.03萬億韓元，攀升到了在2012年的3.98萬億韓元，而其凈利潤翻了一番多，同期從5860億韓元攀升到1.03萬億韓元。

　　在2012年，KT&G被連續第三年列入道瓊斯可持續發展指數(DJSI)，即評估最大的2500家上市公司可持續性的道瓊斯全球總體股票市場指數的系列指數。

評論：

　　曾經受到國有保護的韓國煙草制造商KT&G，在政府放開市場之后依然保持著市場領導者的地位，并且在拓展國際市場方面高歌猛進，2012年的國際銷售額比2000年時增長了17134倍。在這驚人增長的背后，是KT&G公司的品質保證和產品創新。韓國的產品一向以品質優良著稱，電子產品、數碼產品、汽車、服飾及化妝品等，都深受國內外消費者的歡迎，韓國人喜愛國產品牌也是與其產品的高質量分不開的，而要想獲得國外消費者的認可首先應該得到國內消費者的肯定。高品質無疑是最好的賣點，另外獨特的創新也是創造需求的一個重要途徑。總之，只有著眼于市場，通過新產品創造出新需求，并且有可靠的質量保障，才能受到消費者的青睞，也才能使企業在激烈的市場競爭中脫穎而出。

Korea - South: KT&G Dominates Cigarette Market

　　Korea's leading cigarette manufacturer, KT&G, remains the top player in the local market over international giants. Last year, the company held 62 percent of the market share.

　　Even after the government opened the tobacco industry in 1988, the firm never lost its position to global competitors including Phillip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International.

　　KT&G attributes its competitiveness to its premium quality products and growth in overseas sales.

　　"We're so proud that we've done so well and never lost ground to the global competitors," KT&G said in a press release.

　　According to the company, maintaining such a stronghold is rare when a country's cigarette market is exposed to free and open competition.

　　For instance, when Spanish firm Altadis merged with Imperial Tobacco Group in 2007, its market share plunged by 20 percent. In Turkey, its state-run company Tekel was sold to British American Tobacco in 2008 and its shares dropped by 30 percent.

　　KT&G puts effort into maintaining the quality of its products, including its flagship brands: This, Time, Esse, Season and Raison.

　　Every step of the manufacturing process is monitored and the product is carefully examined twice before it is confirmed for sales. Quality-control managers are required to print their names on each pack of cigarettes to guarantee its quality.

　　"Such a policy ensures our customers we only sell the best," a KT&G official said.

　　The company also came up with new innovative products. One of them is Raison Cafe, a new hazelnut coffee-flavored cigarette in the Raison line.

　　KT&G also targeted international consumers to boost its sales, which soared to $634 million in 2012, up 1,713 percent from $37,000 in 2000. Of its brands sold overseas, Esse dominated the world's super-slim market with sales of over 50 billion cigarettes worldwide last year alone.

　　The former state-run company, which monopolized tobacco and ginseng, expanded its business to real estate, food and beverages, biomedical technology and pharmaceutical products since it was privatized in 2002

　　Its sales then climbed from 2.03 trillion won in 2002 to 3.98 trillion won in 2012, while its net profit more than doubled from 586 billion won to 1.03 trillion won over the same period.

　　KT&G was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) for the third consecutive year in 2012, a family of indexes evaluating the sustainability of the largest 2,500 companies listed on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index. Enditem