Brand awards have long faced the accusation of being "pay to win." That suspicion is fair. So we publish our criteria before you apply.
A manufacturer and a restaurant chain, a clinic and a software company, are never scored on the same scale. Your industry field determines your comparison group — smaller scale alone doesn't count against you.
Decisions are based on submitted material, not reputation. A claim that isn't backed by verifiable evidence isn't selected.
Each award category has its own review committee, and any resulting press coverage is issued under that committee's name.
What the brand has built in the market: recognition and trust, growth indicators such as revenue or customer count, consistency of brand identity, and what sets it apart within its industry.
The person, not the company: decision-making and leadership, results achieved through the organization, contribution to the industry or community, and whether stated management philosophy is actually practiced.
How real customers rate the business: repeat purchases and return visits, customer reviews, complaint-handling process, and demonstrated efforts to improve the customer experience.
Paying the fee does not guarantee selection.
· Submitted material is weak or its claims cannot be verified
· The applied category doesn't match the actual business
· A record of consumer harm or legal violation is found
· The application falls short of the category's bar within its industry
* More complete material makes both the review and the resulting press article more accurate. If you get stuck, ask on KakaoTalk.
The relevant committee reviews the brand performance material, motivation, vision and press material you submit. Applications are judged within their own industry so different sectors are never compared directly.
Yes. It focuses on repeat purchase rate, customer reviews, and how complaints are handled — supporting material on those points strengthens your application.
No. Applications with weak or unverifiable material, or that fall short of the category criteria, are not selected.
Business registration number, company name, representative, business address and industry as a baseline. Add key results, prior awards or press coverage if available. Attach a Korean or English file (PDF, Word) for the press release if you have one.
Applications are processed in the order received. Your account manager confirms the result and shipping schedule by email and phone.
You receive a full refund. The payment is returned through the method you used; orders placed through Kmong are refunded in full by Kmong.
Yes. Gambling and gaming-machine manufacturing or distribution, related amusement equipment, and adult entertainment businesses are excluded from application. Applicants with a record of consumer harm or legal violations are also not selected.
Ask before you apply — if it's not a fit, we'll tell you.
