Who is Taehyuk Choi? Could you tell us more about yourself?

My name is Taehyuk Choi. Until recently I was a contents director, and the chief editor of brand documentary magazine “B”. I left the company last year, and in addition to magazine, I’m also doing some other related work, like public speaking etc.. The experience in Shanghai in June last year really impressed me. I know that’s something people of a famous magazine should not say, but I personally prefer other things to printed media, like observing people, making plans based on demands and without limits. Not only for books, but also media, service industry, brands and other fields.

Where are you from and where did you grow up? What was your childhood like?

I was born and grew up in Seoul. Looking back at my student years, I lived a non-mainstream life, concentrating on and doing well things I liked while caring little about what I didn’t. Most of the time, I listened to music or was absent-minded in classes I had little interest in. Meanwhile, my love for films and music is more mature than hobbies of my peers.

What did you study and why you chose it? Did it help you in the future?

In the university I majored in visual communication design. But what I actually liked was film and I wanted to be a director. Inspired by a Korean film director who was also a designer, I was thinking of first majoring in design and then becoming a director. Though I failed in this intention, I created a magazine of documentaries with the way of thinking based on images, and all of it was influenced by my experience at that time.

What did you do before B Magazine? How did this experience influence you?

After graduation from university, I became an editor of a long-standing Korean design magazine. Not my care about and love for the magazine but for design was the original power for me to stay. My opinions about design are similar to those about brands. In other words, the right attitude towards design is the soil while the brand magazine is where it blossoms. And what’s more, both design and brand magazines pay more attention to the summarized plan and project elements of some subject than to the words, which is different from the way how magazine editors usually make plans or collect materials.

Have you always been interested in brands and why?

I care more about what I call “branded thinking” rather than brands themselves. Because I think, knowing about popular and famous brands is only about collecting information, but observing the world using opinions and thoughts of brands can provide you with better solutions at different moments in your life. As mentioned, to make plans without limits is due to the same reason.

In the era of growing popularity of online media, how did off-line B Magazine begin?

General Manager of the company loves printed magazines and this is the main reason. That’s all. In the aspect of “the balance of the world”, I think with the expansion of online environment, on the other hand, offline environment will develop as well. But of course, this is different from what it used to be. It’s like if one part of the world is growing sharply. We should stop being anxious and look back at human’s life, because opportunities come from both sides (online and offline). And, for example, the name of B Magazine stands for “Brand” and “Balance”.

Why you start creating a magazine in different mode of presenting like a film or a story?

It’s not to regard it as a way of filming or storytelling, but to present what’s in my mind in my own unique way. For example, thoughts flow through everyone’s mind just like films, but there is no reason to imitate any magazine’s editing style. In this aspect, most magazines share similar themes, styles and categories. But I put more emphasis on my own thoughts, considering whether to present anything in paper media such as magazines. For magazines as well as hotels and cafes, it is better rather than pursue some fixed style to re-consider t he nature of their functions; I think this is the way to really do something new.

After you interview so many brands, can you share what is their key to success?

You need to really understand contemporary demands and human nature about techniques in this field. Also no matter what entrepreneurs’ tendencies are, as long as brands have clear directions, they’ll be “rightfully” present in every corner of the brand in various forms. This fact is indisputable even if you have made no effort to try it.

For example, recently, Bluebottle has become very popular among customers. But I think another coffee brand Intelligentsia, which “B” once covered, is also a good example. Entrepreneurs who love coffee take all the opportunities from their love, search for excellent coffee beans in places of origin all over the world, make sure locals there earn good money, make customers aware about pricing through “Direct Trade” without agencies. The core value that coffee brands pursue is to go beyond times and countries, and keep exploring better coffee. So does Intelligentsia, that wants to make coffee as fine as wine. Cafes’ decoration, which baristas care about, can indicate what this brand pay more attention to. A brand that meets all standards above is not necessarily a good brand, but I believe good brands all meet these standards.

Is B Magazine sponsored by the brands it covers? Or how is the magazine financed?

For a while, it was sponsored by income of company’s other business. But now, it can be published regularly and sponsored by sales revenue of itself. In the same time, as far as what I know, it’s the very first Korean magazine that is sold overseas.

In your opinion, what do you think is the hardest part about keeping printed media running 53 issues? And what is the fun part about it?

Readers know little about hard parts of this work. Actually every moment is difficult. If I must choose one, then it should be the first issue. When no issue existed, it was very hard creating something from nothing. It felt like, you were surrounded by insubstantial air, and no matter how hard you tried, you failed to move forward.

Could you please describe your morning?

If I’m free, I would drink coffee and enjoy listening to classic music. After work, rather than TV, I watch TV series or movies in Netflix.

Do you love coffee? What’s your favorite coffee brand and why?

Of course I love coffee. But I drink no more than 3 cups of coffee every day, and use equipment such as hand drip, Bialetti, aeropress and cold brew to make coffee at home. I drink no specific brand, but different brands of coffee. I think coffee in Seoul is world-class. You don’t need to go to downtown, there are many small-scale cafes in residential areas which offer delicious coffee beans.

What do you do in your free time?

I always like to try new things. In the future, I want to know more about whisky, even though I don’t drink alcohol. I know China also has many good alcoholic drinks. I want to know more about them.

What made you leave your brainchild?

I think a good branding strategy is also to treat a brand as a person, and only then, you can find the right direction. I’m not talking about sensibilities, but how to treat the relationship with customers. I left “B” because I want to get rid of limits of the field of magazines, and gain more experience. Now I teach lessons and provide consultation in many enterprises or governments, and hope to meet people who share similar experience and love for observing.

What does B Magazine mean for you? Has it influenced your life or career anyhow?

In short, it’s an opportunity for people to know me. In detail, it’s the first time for me to display my abstract opinions of the world for quite a while in the form of a magazine. What constituted the magazine includes not only questions about business operation but also challenges to my own value system.

About B Magazine

B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue.

About Taehyuk Choi

Originally from Seoul, he grew into visual understanding of brands and how they affect our lives. This is how B Magazine started.