Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 295

Another year went by quickly. Woojin didn’t spend any money on ads for Arco, except for taking care of important VIP customers.

Because of this, Im Jungwoo, his business partner from Dajin Construction, got worried. Just last week, Im Jungwoo came to Woojin’s office. He sat down heavily, his face creased with worry.

“Mr. Seo,” he began, his voice a little shaky.

“Yes, President?” Woojin replied, looking up from his papers.

Im Jungwoo hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Are you really sure… is it okay… not to spend more on telling people about Arco?”

“Haha,” Woojin chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Sold out, President. Completely gone. What exactly are you worried about?”

was already completely sold out. But this was just the beginning. Im Jungwoo knew very well how much Woojin intended to grow the Arco brand.

“Of course, I’m not worried about this ,” Im Jungwoo said.

“Then what is it?” Woojin asked.

“If you want to grow the Arco brand even more in the future,” Im Jungwoo said, “it seems like there won’t be a better opportunity than this time.”

Even though Dajin Construction helped build , the Arco brand was Woojin’s own thing, from WJ Studio. However, since Dajin Construction was the first company to start with them, there was a high probability that Dajin Construction would participate in future Arco projects as well.

“If you mean a good chance to market Arco,” Im Jungwoo said, thinking aloud, “are you talking about that Arco Gallery event we just had?”

“Exactly!” Woojin smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Think about all those VIPs who came to the gallery. They are perfect for creating a buzz.”

“Hehe, if you have a plan, Mr. Seo… then I was just worrying for no reason!” Im Jungwoo chuckled, relieved.

The VIPs at the Arco Gallery event were not just rich; they were famous. Actors, singers, business leaders – people everyone knew. If even a few of them talked about Arco, it would be big news. If almost a hundred did… it would be like a storm of attention.

But Woojin wasn’t rushing. He watched everything calmly. He had his reasons, and there were three main ones.

First, there was no rush because all the sales in the Cheongdam project were already completed. Second, if the VIPs’ recognition was used as a marketing tool, the credibility of the brand could decrease.

Lastly… Woojin believed that if something is truly good, people will find out about it eventually, without needing to shout.

And Woojin was right to wait. The day after the Arco Gallery, something interesting started to happen. Old online posts, from months ago, suddenly popped up again.

Someone posted a photo online.

“Anyone know this place?”

“Oh, isn’t that building in Cheongdam?”

“Yeah.”

“It says Arco Gallery there.”

The Arco Gallery building was hard to miss. It stood tall on a busy street in Cheongdam, the area known for fancy shops and expensive things. Just holding an event there was sure to get attention. People walking by couldn’t help but notice.

People who saw it became curious. Someone else posted online:

“So, I’m not curious about the name, I’m curious what kind of place it is.”

Another person replied:

“Why? What’s going on?”

Then, someone shared a photo:

“Photo attached – There were so many famous people, like a big party was happening.”

Someone else just replied in surprise:

“Oh…?”

When people searched ‘Arco Gallery’ online, they found things. They found the official Arco website. They learned about the Arco brand and the designer, Seo Woojin. They saw photos of the gallery, which looked like the building itself. And they found those articles about the ‘special brochure’ from months ago. It all started to look very interesting to people.

Someone commented:

“Arco? Made by Seo Woojin? Amazing.”

Another:

“Who even gets to live in a place like that?”

Someone asked:

“When can we buy one?”

And then, the answer came:

“I called to ask, but they said it’s already sold out!”

All Woojin did was package the past footprints of the Arco brand as an interesting source and connect them. He had prepared everything carefully, like stacking wood for a fire. He just waited for the right moment to light it. He had made sure everything was ready so that when the time was right, the brand would suddenly become very popular.

Usually, companies try to show their product to as many people as possible to get customers. Woojin did the opposite. He first showed Arco to a small group of very important people. Then, he used their fame and the buzz they created to make everyone else want it. It was like starting small and letting the popularity spread outwards.

Later that day, Woojin was talking with Suha, the famous model who was also buying a place in .

“By the way, Woojin,” Suha said, tilting her head slightly.

“Yeah?” Woojin asked.

“Didn’t you spend a *lot* of money on that gallery event?” Suha asked.

Woojin blinked.

“Why do you say that, Sis?” he asked, surprised.

Suha laughed a little.

“Well, the food was amazing, and the gifts… those collaboration things… it looked like you gave away hundreds of dollars worth of stuff to each person!”

“Hehe, what is it? Are you worried about our company too?” Woojin asked.

“Well, I’m satisfied as a customer, but I’m just wondering if you’re giving away too much,” Suha replied.

Woojin smiled to himself. *Yes, it was expensive. But it was nothing compared to what normal marketing would cost. And it was so much more effective.*

As October and November went by, articles about Arco exploded online and in magazines. Even though Woojin and WJ Studio didn’t do anything more, the news kept coming.

Headlines screamed: ‘[Arco, a residential brand created by ‘Seo Woojin’. “A house that celebrities want even more”]’ and ‘[ sold out! Sales are only by “invitation”…]’ and ‘[Arco Gallery official, “If you are not invited, you cannot purchase a unit even if you have money.”]’.

It’s human nature – people always want what they can’t have. And Arco was definitely something most people couldn’t have. This made it even more desirable.

Woojin had another idea. For his next project, , also in Cheongdam, he decided to invite customers *before* anything was even built.

It was a truly bold move, some might even say crazy. He was pre-selling houses that didn’t even exist yet.

And then, something amazing happened. One hundred VIPs, without asking any questions, agreed to put down a deposit of 30 million won for this ‘second Arco House’. Thirty million won! For a house that was just an idea!

“Really, I just don’t get it,” Jintae said, shaking his head as he sipped his tea.

“What is it, Hyung?” Woojin asked, smiling.

“No, seriously,” Jintae continued, “isn’t it crazy? They’re just throwing away 30 million won for a house that isn’t even real yet?”

Woojin smiled and replied, “For those people, 30 million won might be like… like losing a small coin for us, Hyung. Maybe even less.”

Jintae thought about this, then nodded slowly.

“Hmm… maybe you’re right. I guess there are more people with that kind of money than we think.”

They talked more about Arco’s future. They discussed possible locations for the next project.

“Pyeongchang-dong, huh…” Jintae mused, “That area definitely feels rich and peaceful.”

“Exactly,” Woojin agreed. “But the design will be totally different from Cheongdam Arco.”

“All the design drafts for the Pyeongchang-dong project site will probably be out by next month, so please schedule a working-level team meeting for the construction part around the end of January,” Woojin said.

“Okay. I got it,” Jintae replied.

“When is Cheongdam Arco scheduled to be completed?” Woojin asked.

“Spring of the year after next…?” Jintae answered.

“Good. Let’s aim to break ground on about two project sites before that,” Woojin said.

“Wow, this year is coming to an end like this…!” Jintae exclaimed.

As busy as ever, 2013 was also heading towards the end. As it had every year, WJ Studio succeeded in further accelerating its growth in 2013. Thanks to that, it was also awarded the Prime Minister’s Commendation in the SME Brand Innovation category.

‘Every year, I only aimed to grow a little bit more…’

Woojin looked out the window. Seoul Forest was a beautiful blanket of pure white snow. Cars moved slowly along the riverside road, and in the distance, he could see the sparkling city of Seoul stretching out to the south of the Han River.

Looking at the beautiful view, a thought suddenly came to Woojin. *It feels like I’m almost there now.* He remembered a time when someone, Seokgu, had asked him, ‘Hey, Woojin, why do you work so hard?’

[Start flashback here, making the dialogue more natural and showing the relationship between Woojin and Seokgu. Describe Seokgu’s tone and Woojin’s reaction.] Woojin had answered, half-joking, half-serious, ‘Seokgu, you know my dream? To build the tallest, most beautiful building in the world in Seoul, with my name on it.’

Seokgu had laughed, not believing him. But now, looking out at Seoul, Woojin felt a thrill. That day, that crazy dream, didn’t seem so far away anymore.