To Korea’s “Sister Agency,” Prain Global: Cross-Border PR Built as “One Team”

Hello. I am Hattori from SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, in charge of international PR.

At SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP, we have built a global network with partner agencies around the world in order to roll out PR and communication initiatives, events, and global campaigns overseas.

This time, we would like to introduce Prain Global, our Sister Agency in Korea, with whom we have worked together for more than 10 years.

A Sister Agency is not merely a business partner; it is a partner with whom we jointly lead projects while sharing expertise and networks in each other’s countries and markets.

Prain Global is one of Korea’s leading PR and communication agencies. SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global formed a Sister Agency partnership in 2015. Since then, we have collaborated on a wide range of projects spanning Japan and Korea, creating fun commotion together.

This time, as we worked together with Prain Global’s global team for six months to support the Korea launch of a Japanese brand, what I felt anew was that they truly are “SUNNY SIDE UP in Korea.”

We are remarkably alike.

SUNNY SIDE UP in Korea?

Prain Global supports communication activities for companies in Korea and abroad across a wide range of fields—from lifestyle and luxury brands to sports and entertainment.

While engaging with diverse industries and cultures with PR at the core, they are not confined to any single domain; instead, they flexibly create new communication strategies and initiatives in step with changes in the times and society.

Not only in terms of their scale as an agency and the breadth of their services, but also in their stance of continually taking on new communication challenges and creating new value with the times—this is also very similar to SUNNY SIDE UP.

And Prain Global’s greatest appeal is its people.

Many members have experience in global projects, and their specialist team dedicated to global assignments brings together PR and communication professionals with deep expertise and strong local insight.

Beyond their deep understanding of brands and client-first mindset, I am impressed every time we work together by their teamwork rooted in mutual respect, each person’s thoughtfulness, and their meticulous approach. I also feel a certain nostalgic warmth in Korea’s communication culture, which values relationships and etiquette between people.

Even in day-to-day work, they do not simply execute what is requested; they think with us from the very beginning—such as “How should this brand be communicated in Korea?” and “What resonates with Korean media and consumers right now?”

It is almost hard to believe they are a different agency—we can move the project forward toward a single goal, just like a team within the same company.

Overseas PR Is Not “Translation,” but “Localization”

What matters in overseas PR is not only translating words, but localizing the brand story itself into a form that fits the market.

By understanding local culture, trends, and the media landscape, how do we communicate the story in a way that earns empathy from the country’s media, influencers, and consumers? To deliver a brand’s inherent value and appeal in a way that fits the market, a trusted local team with deep local understanding is essential.

At SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global, teams that know the Japanese and Korean markets inside out share the brand’s strategy, value, and the same goal, and together plan and execute communication suited to the local market.

Rather than simply assigning work from a Japanese PR firm to a Korean PR firm, we operate as one team.

That is the collaboration between SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global.

“One Team” for BRULEE as Well

This Korea launch of Ohayo Dairy’s “BRULEE” also became a project that symbolizes the collaboration between SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global.

We introduced the project details in the first part, but by combining the expertise and networks of Japan and Korea, we rolled out communications for the Korean market. After launch, BRULEE has continued to sell well in Korea.

After the project concluded, the phrase that naturally emerged within the team was “We are One Team.”

Not only SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global, but also the client became one team, and I feel that being able to work toward the same goal led to the project’s success.

It was a project that made the most of the Sister Agency relationship we have built over more than 10 years.

And one more thing.

When people’s hearts are moved, their actions change—and, in time, society changes as well.

As we worked with Prain Global on this project in Korea, I once again strongly felt that this “power of communication” that SUNNY SIDE UP has believed in is a universal force that transcends countries and languages.

From Japan to Korea. From Korea to Japan.

Japan and Korea are close countries, but the media landscape, how trends emerge, and the way communication with consumers works are all different.

That is precisely why it is meaningful for professionals who understand each market to think together.

Going forward as well, we would like to take on even more new projects that connect Japan and Korea—by combining the respective strengths of SUNNY SIDE UP and Prain Global across areas such as product launches and brand market entry, media relations, influencer initiatives, events, and digital communication.

From Japan to Korea, and from Korea to Japan.

If you have any projects related to cross-border PR or communication, please feel free to reach out.

Shall we create some global fun commotion together?