Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) invited Lim Woo Taek, CEO of Brion Company, as the speaker for its 656th Thursday Special Lecture, held on Thursday, 20 November in the Academic Conference Hall. Brion Company is a specialist firm overseeing brands' sports activities, including sports sponsorship, team and athlete marketing, and global event operations. CEO Lim delivered a lecture titled 『Why Do Brands Communicate Through Sport?』, focusing on why sport serves as a crucial medium for brand communication and presenting real-world case studies.

Mr Lim first introduced the concept of sports marketing and how brands communicate with consumers through sport. He emphasised that “the moment of play, the athlete's expression, the fans' cheers – all become the language of the brand,” stressing that we have entered an era where story-based communication, beyond traditional advertising, is crucial. He then explained that sports marketing encompasses a comprehensive range of activities, including event sponsorship, athlete management, PR, and hospitality.

The lecture featured various sports marketing projects executed by Brion Company. Real-world case studies, including the planning and operation of the Woori Financial Championship and Genesis Championship golf tournaments, the management and promotion of the ‘Korea House’ at the Milan Winter Olympics, and sponsorships with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, CASS, and LG, vividly conveyed how brands engage with the market through sport. He also highlighted the trend of individual athletes becoming brands, citing short track speed skater Kwak Yoon Gi as an example. CEO Lim emphasised, “Athletes now serve as media figures, creating and delivering content themselves, not just excelling in competition,” stressing that the scope of sports marketing continues to expand through diverse platforms like sports variety shows and personal channels.

At the lecture's conclusion, CEO Lim identified passion, perseverance, and field experience as essential competencies for the sports marketing field. He advised, “The sports scene is unpredictable and dynamic. If you don't love it, it's hard to endure for long,” adding, “Creating genuine touchpoints between brands and fans is the core of sports marketing.” He concluded his lecture by stressing that the reason large corporations sponsor sports is because “There is no medium as low-barrier and powerful as sports for creating fan engagement.”

Kookmin University's Thursday Special Lecture, the nation's first and longest-running weekly regular lecture series featuring external speakers, has hosted approximately 650 speakers from politics, society, science, and culture over the past 30 years. These include former President Roh Moo Hyun, Cardinal Kim Sou Hwan, writer Ryu Si Min, film director Park Chan Wook, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye Kyun, and former US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert.