[비즈한국] Everyone is good at creating things these days. Case studies and methodologies for strong brands are shared rapidly, and the standards for design and content have been leveled up. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the barrier to entry for creating images, text, services, and experiences is also falling quickly. So, in an era where anyone can produce output of a similar quality, what can make a brand unique? The 'BrandBiz Conference 2026,' held on Thursday, October 29, at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Gwanghwamun, starts with this very question.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the theme of the BrandBiz Conference is 'THE NEXT ORIGINAL – In an Era Where Everyone Creates Well, How Do Brands Become Unique?' Having consistently covered the changes in the brand and design industries over the past decade, the BrandBiz Conference looks beyond 'how to make things well' this year to examine from various perspectives what a brand must protect and what judgments it must make to maintain its identity.
The BrandBiz Conference first began in 2017. At that time, the concept of branding was not yet accepted as a fundamental pillar of business as it is today. While there was a consensus on the importance of branding, it was not easy to find answers on what constituted a 'good' brand or where to start. Over the subsequent 10 years, the quality of brand strategy, design, spaces, and content has risen significantly, and we have reached an era where even average companies can produce results of a certain quality.
Paradoxically, this year's contemplation begins at that very point. As the gap in quality narrows, different brands begin to look increasingly similar. Because proven strategies and design grammars can be quickly referenced, and AI has leveled the playing field for production capabilities, it has become difficult to create differences based on the output alone, as was the case in the past. This year, the BrandBiz Conference asks what ultimately makes a brand unique in such an environment.
Taking the stage this year are eight speakers active in various fields, including brand strategy, design, architecture, and industrial design.
First, Choi Jang-soon, CEO of LMNT, will speak on 'The Era of Narrative Identity,' examining why brands are now remembered for "the story they possess" rather than just their products and functions. In an era where people respond more to worldviews, attitudes, and narratives than to specifications when choosing a brand, he will discuss what stories brands should create and how they can accumulate them into a consistent identity.
Jeon Woo-sung, CEO of Seaside City, through 'The End of the Gap — What Can Make a Brand Unique Now,' points to the reality that in an era where design and marketing quality are standardized, it has become difficult to create uniqueness through small details or differentiated expressions as in the past. In an era overflowing with well-made brands, he will explore the new conditions for differentiation: what ultimately makes a brand look different and be remembered for a long time.
Kim Bong-chan, Director at Daishin Securities, will present 'Questioning Design,' explaining that good design doesn't start with creating a fancy output, but by asking the right questions to properly identify problems. In an era where countless answers and references are easily accessible, it has become more important to ask "why must we make this?" than "what shall we make?" Based on his experience dealing with branding and design within corporate organizations, he will share how questioning can change organizational judgment and determine the direction of design.
The conference will also specifically cover how AI is changing design practice. Byun Sa-beom, CEO of Blurblur and advisor to PLUS X, will share his experience through 'Sharing AI Experiences Used by Designers (2023–2026) - From Image Generation to Service Launch,' revealing the trial and error he encountered since the emergence of generative AI. He will show how AI has expanded from a tool for creating single images to the entire design process, including ideation, concept development, prototyping, and actual service launch, while also addressing what should be entrusted to AI and what designers must decide themselves until the end.
Perspectives on space and industrial design will also follow. Baek Jong-hwan, CEO of WGNB, will present 'Another Kind of Harmony,' discussing how spaces should not simply be composed beautifully, but how different elements—such as the brand, people, materials, light, and the surrounding environment—can harmonize to form a single experience. Through his actual work, he will show the process of creating new impressions of space, not through familiar harmony, but through unexpected friction and tension.
Song Bong-kyu, CEO of BKID, under the theme 'Industrial Design as Culture,' views industrial design not just as the task of determining the form and function of a product, but as an act of creating culture. Through various projects, he will explain how the objects we use every day reflect the tastes and lifestyles of the era, and in turn, change people's behavior and culture.
Shin Myung-sup, General Director of SHARE X and advisor to PLUS X, will discuss 'Sharing Experiences, the Value of Sharing,' explaining the power that accumulated experience possesses when it is passed on to other people and organizations rather than remaining with the individual. He will explore how to verbalize and share the know-how and judgment criteria gained through numerous branding and design projects, and the process by which the transfer of experience leads to further creation and growth. This is also a story about how to turn the experience of a 'talented individual' into the assets of a 'talented organization' in an era where collective judgment is becoming more important than individual ability.
The final stage will be held by Choi So-hyun, Head of Creative & Experience at Naver. Under the theme 'How Do Brands Survive,' she will discuss how created brands survive amidst change, rather than how to build a good brand. Having personally experienced the emergence and disappearance of new platforms, helped found a brand consulting firm to assist in the birth and transformation of numerous companies, and now leading the overall experience encompassing brand, design, marketing, and space within the giant platform that is Naver, she brings a wealth of perspective.
Over the past 20 years, her focus has shifted from "how to create a good brand" to "how to help an organization repeat good choices." As AI standardizes production capabilities, she will conclude the conference by highlighting what a brand should never change easily, what should be boldly changed whenever the environment shifts, and ultimately, what judgments humans must be responsible for until the end.
The BrandBiz Conference 2026 will begin with a welcoming address by Kim Won-yang, CEO of Ilyo Shinmun, followed by eight lectures throughout the morning and afternoon. Speakers from different fields and generations will look at the singular question of 'uniqueness' based on their respective experiences.
Every year, the BrandBiz Conference takes the questions currently facing the brand industry as its theme. If the critical question 10 years ago was "how to create a good brand," the situation has now changed. We have passed the era where good output itself was rare and entered an era where anyone can create well.
Ultimately, this year's question is not "how to create better." It is focused on what to choose, what to discard, and what to protect until the end even in a changing environment. The BrandBiz Conference 2026 aims to be a forum to look back on the past 10 years while contemplating where the uniqueness of brands will be forged over the next 10 years.
The BrandBiz Conference 2026 is a paid event, and registration and detailed information can be found on the official website.