When Goya Choe, founder of Goya Studio, first arrived in Dubai, she didn’t just see a fast-growing global city—she saw a cultural crossroads. With over 13 years of experience in branding and marketing, Goya had worked across markets, but something stood out in the way global brands struggled to truly connect with local audiences.
That realization became the foundation of Goya Studio: a boutique consultancy built to bridge Korea and Dubai, translating not just language, but emotion, trust, and cultural intent. Based in Dubai, Goya now works at the intersection of the Korean Wave in Dubai and the Middle East’s relationship-driven business culture—helping brands move beyond surface-level localization into meaningful, long-term impact from market entry strategy to on-the-ground execution with local partners.
Goya Studio: From Korea to Dubai, With Purpose
Goya Studio was born from a simple but powerful insight: global brands often expand quickly, but not deeply.
“The gap wasn’t language,” Goya explains. “It was context, emotion, and trust.”
“You can translate words overnight,” she adds, “but trust is something you earn only through consistency and presence.”
Dubai, as her base, was a strategic choice. It’s a city where cultures don’t merely coexist—they negotiate, collaborate, and evolve together. From this vantage point, Goya Studio operates as a two-way cultural bridge:
- Helping Korean brands enter the Middle East with clarity and credibility
- Helping Middle Eastern partners understand Korean brands beyond trends
This dual perspective is what sets Goya Studio apart in a crowded branding landscape.
Korea and Dubai: Speed Meets Trust
One of the most striking contrasts Goya highlights is the difference in business mindset between Korea and the Middle East.
The Korean Approach
- Speed and precision
- Perfect decks, flawless execution
- Rapid follow-ups and constant momentum
The Middle East Approach
- Trust before transactions
- Relationships before speed
- Consistency over time
Goya describes her biggest mindset shift as learning that “moving fast doesn’t always mean moving forward.”
Once she adapted her approach—slowing down, listening more deeply, and respecting relationship-driven decision-making—her work became more impactful and sustainable.
This ability to navigate both worlds has become her signature strength.
Not Just Marketing: Storytelling as a Strategic System
At Goya Studio, storytelling isn’t an afterthought—it’s the operating system.
Rather than starting with visuals or campaigns, Goya begins with people:
- Who is the brand really for?
- What emotion should the audience feel?
- What proof do they need to believe?
This philosophy is heavily influenced by the success of Korean pop culture.
Lessons From the Korean Wave in Dubai
K-pop and K-dramas have found passionate audiences worldwide, and Dubai is no exception. According to Goya, the global success of Korean culture comes down to one thing: emotion as strategy.
Instead of marketing products, Korean entertainment markets feelings—belonging, aspiration, transformation.
A K-Drama Formula for Brands
Goya often advises brands to structure their messaging like a drama:
- Episode 1: Identify the tension or problem
- Episode 2: Reveal insight and understanding
- Episode 3: Show transformation
This structure works across industries—from beauty and wellness to B2B—because, at the core, branding is human.
Why Branding Is More Than Visuals
In markets like the Middle East, visuals may attract attention, but identity builds memory.
Audiences here are brand-literate and discerning. They want to know:
- Who are you?
- Can I trust you?
- Will you stay consistent?
That’s why Goya Studio prioritizes identity, emotion, and purpose first—then translates them into visuals that align with local expectations. The result is branding that feels authentic, not imported.
Common Mistakes Korean Brands Make in the Middle East
Through her work, Goya sees recurring challenges when Korean brands expand into the region:
1. Treating the Middle East as One Market
Each country—and even each city—has its own cultural nuances.
2. Focusing on Translation Instead of Trust
Language alone doesn’t build credibility.
3. Assuming What Worked Elsewhere Will Work Here
Success in the U.S. or Asia doesn’t guarantee success in Dubai or Saudi Arabia.
In many cases, brands need to lead not with features, but with credibility signals—such as certifications, ingredient transparency, and education.
Localization Means Translating Intent
One of Goya’s core beliefs is that localization is not dilution.
True localization means:
- Translating intent, not just words
- Adapting tone, pacing, and even silence
- Understanding what feels respectful and authentic locally
Rather than removing Korean identity, Goya Studio refines it—expressing Korea’s strengths (discipline, design sensitivity, formulation, emotional storytelling) through a Middle Eastern lens.
Quiet Consistency as a Leadership Strength
As a Korean woman leading cross-cultural projects between Korea and Dubai, Goya has experienced both challenges and advantages. While underestimation can happen initially, she believes outcomes ultimately speak louder than assumptions.
Her leadership philosophy is simple but powerful: in cross-cultural markets, quiet consistency earns more trust than loud positioning.
In relationship-driven markets, sustained reliability often matters more than loud positioning.
The Future of Korea–Middle East Collaboration
Looking ahead, Goya sees Korea–Middle East collaboration evolving rapidly.
What began with cultural exchanges—concerts, exhibitions, festivals—is now expanding into:
- Beauty and wellness
- Technology and AI
- Gaming and IP content
- National-scale innovation initiatives
Culture remains the entry point, but the future is about co-creation, not export. As both regions invest in long-term growth, partnerships will become deeper, more strategic, and more enduring.
Final Thoughts
Goya Studio represents a new kind of global consultancy—one that understands that successful expansion isn’t about being everywhere, but about being understood.
In the space between Korea and Dubai, Goya Choe is helping brands do exactly that: move with intention, build trust, and create stories that resonate across cultures.
Join us on Kpoppost’s Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, Telegram channel, WhatsApp Channel and Discord server for discussions. And follow Kpoppost’s Google News for more Korean entertainment news and updates.
