Case Study 3

Princess Julagay

Camille Dizon
Bench Manalon
Natnat De Leon

CASE STUDY 3

1. Explain the appeal of characters like Hello Kitty to younger consumers in both Asia and the western economies, taking note of cultural and group influences.

Hello Kitty is a marketing phenomenon from the Japanese Company Sanrio. The Little white cat with no mouth was initially aimed at young girls but Hello kitty has found a much wider audience. I think Hello Kitty appeal unquestionably both Asia and the Western economies. A Google search for “Hello Kitty” yields more than 1.5 million results. It’s means Hello kitty popular in all over the world. Although drawing distinction between collectivist cultures like Japan and Asian countries, where group behaviour is norm, and individualistic ones like US and western countries, where people tend to do their own things, but people do not relate to brands as person in collectivist cultures. Hello Kitty popularity in terms of a need for social conformance there rather than as a response to an appealing brand personality. With the appeal of cuteness of and Japan’s design style gaining universal acceptance, the country now challenges the global supremacy of American and European popular culture. The characters have no discernible cultural features meaning that they can cross country and cultural boundaries with limited cultural baggage. Aspects of ‘kawaii’ culture can be seen in youth in other countries - trends, once picked up by significant reference group members, spread quite quickly, leading to high levels of market penetration

2. Explain why characters like Hello Kitty appeal to a broader audience in Asia? Do you think that Hello Kitty will be able to generate the same level of broad appeal in western countries?

In Asia, the appeal of Hello Kitty is not limited to younger consumers, as evidenced by the range of products available. Some authors have suggested that this phenomenon can be explained by the stress caused by Asia’s rapid economic growth, closely followed by the Asian financial crisis and recession as well as political uncertainty in parts of the region. Psychologists suggest that one way individuals deal with stress is to retreat as much as they can to their childhood, for most a happy, protected, relatively non threatening time. According to one marketing expert, ‘when the economy goes into recession, people start going into depression and reach for chocolate and teddy bears. Hello Kitty fits the bill. Her appeal can best be summed up by one consumer who said ‘whenever I’m sad. I buy some Hello Kitty things to feel better.

3. What factors have lead to the spread of Nippon culture throughout Asia? Do you see the spread continuing? If so, why; if not, why not?

Japan is seen by many in Asia as the leading economy and the home of innovative product design and marketing, for many years the economic powerhouse fuelling growth in the region. As many countries in Asia emerged economically, with increasing disposable incomes, they flocked to all things American - the lure of the Big Mac, Coke, Nike and MTV. However, all things American do not necessarily reflect Asian culture or Asian realities such as body shape. As Asian markets have matured, the focus on Japanese pop culture has in essence created an Asian culture to replace American pop culture - a popular culture that reflects more closely Asian values of tradition, family, respect for elders and group affiliations.