At Nae Bother, we have several Japanese clients, so it’s
interesting to comment on Japanese brands from time to time. The Sanrio brand, Hello Kitty, which turns 40
next year, has long been associated with all sorts of random products and
market segments, from children’s toys to adult underwear and electric toothbrushes.
But now we read that everyone’s favourite white Japanese bobtail cat is
appearing on Hello Kitty fruit-flavoured beer in Taiwan and China. Is this a
brand extension too far?
Originally targeted at pre-adolescent females, you’ve got to
wonder how such a brand can also be used to sell alcoholic beverages to adults.
The low-alcohol drink is clearly targeted at female consumers who are enamoured
by the cute cat with no mouth, and possibly have nostalgia for the brand from
their childhood; nevertheless, with such brand recognition amongst minors, it’s
pretty risky positioning the brand in such a category and segment, and you’ve
got to ask what the brand really stands for. Interestingly, a recent article in
Businessweek shed some light on this: “The famous feline has become a global
fashion icon and megabrand because her fundamental design says nothing and
everything at the same time. Hello Kitty’s minimalist rendering invites viewers
to bring their own meaning to the image. That’s why the image works with
children’s books as well as with vibrators.”
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-16/hello-kitty-beer-zen-and-the-art-of-crass-marketing?campaign_id=DN091613
This explanation is profound stuff and we can just about understand what they
mean, as the brand’s marketing approach is totally unconventional i.e. a brand
usually means the same thing to most people; nonetheless, the brand has been
around for a long time and its appeal is not waning, as shown by the parent
company’s shares which have doubled this year. We wonder which product is next
for the Hello Kitty treatment.
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