By Ko Dong-hwan Steamed dumplings by CJ Cheiljedang's Bibigo / Screen capture from Bibigo USA CJ Cheiljedang's leading food brand Bibigo, is now featured in a Harvard Business School textbook, which explains how the food brand successfully expanded its presence in the lucrative global food market, according to the food company, Sunday. The company brand was introduced as a case study titled "CJ Foods: The Path to Global Food Leadership." It was first shared in an educational class for CEOs and managers from companies around the world last Wednesday, local time, with some 180 people in attendance. Jointly written by professors Forest Reinhardt and Sophus Reinert from the school's faculty and senior researcher Shu Lin at the school, the study explained how Bibigo climbed in the global food market with its seven "global strategic products" such as dumplings, chicken, steamed rice, sauce, kimchi, dried seaweed and rolls. The study said that for the first time, the brand surpassed an annual sales record of 1 trillion won ($761 million) worldwide in 2020 with its dumplings alone and topped the dumpling market in the United States the following year. It said that CJ, after acquiring American food company Schwan's Company, increased the American brand's annual sales from $2.3 billion in 2019 to $3 billion in 2022. Additionally, it stated that the Korean firm expanded the market share for Red Baron, a frozen pizza label under Schwan's, from 14 percent in 2019 to 21 percent in 2023. The study mentioned how Bibigo befriended American consumers by investing in marketing strategies that were leveraged by a K-pop music festival known as KCON, PGA Tour The CJ Cup and the LA Lakers. Following CJ's acquisition of Schwan's, Bibigo products were put on shelves in Walmart and Kroger, major distributors in the U.S., and topped Vietnam's local kimchi and frozen food products after merging with local companies including Kim&Kim, Minh Dat Food and Cau Tre, according to the study. In Europe, where the majority of local consumers aren't familiar with Korean food products, CJ formed partnerships with local franchise companies to introduce Bibigo's range of products. The study also mentioned how CJ's country selection process (to expand its overseas markets) is based on the population of a country, the level of income, the local Asian food market's size, the number of local Korean restaurants and local cold chain infrastructure. "The study highlighted CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun's business motto which is 'Only One'," said an official from the company. "It introduced how that spirit differentiated CJ Cheiljedang's businesses, products and services from other brands."