This event saw the participation of over 30 licensees, showcased more than 800 products. The event also garnered significant attention on social media platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu, with hashtags such as #Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary# trending and sparking millions of discussions. A series of creative marketing activities, in conjunction with fashion resources and popular talents, leveraging the promotional advantages of Alibaba’s ecosystem, Alifish and Tmall have once again successfully propelled Sanrio to enhance both brand influence and commercial value.
Sanrio, with 30+ licensees, sees a transaction volume surge for multiple hit products.
Recognizing Hello Kitty’s unique “sense of companionship” and “friendship-oriented” qualities, along with the new generation of fans’ preference for consumption that pursues beautiful experiences, Alifish, Sanrio, and Tmall have focused on the theme “Besties should stay together like Hello Kitty & Friends”, gathering more than 30 Sanrio licensees, including TOPTOY, Razer, Chow Sang Sang, and BOSIDENG, to participate in this event. These “besties” cover a wide range of categories including trendy toys, beauty and daily chemicals, apparel and footwear, and 3C digital products.
During the pre-sale period from August 17th to 27th, Alifish collaborates with Sanrio fans and community influencers to create cute and engaging content that inspires fan interaction. By working closely with Tmall and Taobao, it helps licensees and products reach fan communities, achieving a closed loop from recommendation to purchase
During Sanrio Super Brand Day, all participating licensees achieved significant results. At midnight on August 28th, a large number of fans flocked to the Sanrio Tmall official flagship store, and the Hello Kitty 50th anniversary commemorative series of dolls sold out as soon as they were listed.
The new co-branded products launched by Razer and Sanrio, the Hello Kitty keyboard and mouse set and the Kuromi keyboard and mouse set, have been dominating the Tmall Keyboard and Mouse Set New Product List for several days, ranking first and third respectively; TOPTOY’s Sanrio family Latte Baby vinyl blind box has been highly popular since its launch in July, not only attracting the attention of over 100,000 people but also successfully entering the Tmall Top 3 of the Blind Box Bestseller List.
Hello Kitty Debuts on L’Officiel Cover, Parties with Friends Offline
Hello Kitty is not only the pioneer and leader of “cute” culture but also a global symbol of popularity. It frequently appears at top fashion shows in fashion capitals like New York, Milan, and Tokyo, becoming the darling of the fashion world. Many trendsetting icons, such as Lady Gaga, Avril Lavigne, Jennie, and Liu Yifei love to incorporate Hello Kitty elements into their styles, whether in clothing or accessories, showcasing a unique fashion charm.
In Sanrio Super Brand Day, Alifish creatively used Hello Kitty’s patented plaid pattern to create an exclusive set for the occasion. Wearing the new outfit, Hello Kitty took a hot air balloon ride across the sea to China and appeared on the cover of L’Officiel, marking her first appearance on a domestic fashion magazine cover. Under the direction of L’Officiel, Hello Kitty teamed up with celebrity friend Zheng Hehuizi and Tmall’s mascot Mao Tiantian to shoot a feature, strolling through the city streets and immersing herself in the urban vibe.
In terms of consumer trends, the preferences of modern young consumers in China are leading market changes. They seek instant gratification and immersive experiences, which is reflected in the rise of IP experience consumption, whether it’s pop-up stores, themed restaurants, or immersive exhibitions. Notably, Alifish’s Hello Kitty and Her Besties’ Party, hosted at Chengdu COSMO, added a new highlight to Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary. At the party, Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and Kuromi together presented exciting song and dance performances, interacting warmly with fans.Following, DJ Hello Kitty and Chinese singer Yamy took to the stage, successfully elevating the atmosphere of this party to its peak.
September 2, Hello Kitty, along with Cinnamoroll and Kuromi, made an appearance at the new headquarters of Alibaba’s entertainment division, where they were greeted by enthusiastic fans.
Through a series of innovative and fun marketing activities, Alifish, Sanrio, and Tmall have joined hands to create a dreamlike interactive experience for fans, further strengthening the emotional bond between fans and Sanrio’s big stars, and more effectively highlighting the fashion and trendiness of the Sanrio brand, attracting more fans who pursue trendy experiences to become Sanrio fans.
Alifish Boosts Sanrio’s Growth with Focus on Content, Design, and Marketing.
Since January 1, 2023, Alifish has obtained exclusive authorization from Sanrio for the manufacturing and sale of products featuring 26 characters in Mainland China. In response to the new trend of domestic young consumers seeking emotional and experiential consumption, both parties have not only actively promoted the diversified development of Sanrio characters but also jointly created multiple offline immersive IP events, which together have continuously enhanced the brand value of Sanrio.
Regarding this, Jiang Xuheng, Vice President of Alifish, said: “Alifish has never regarded itself as a mere agent; we are a long-term strategic partner of Sanrio in China. Therefore, Alifish has the responsibility to continuously invest in the long-term development of the 26 IP characters of the Sanrio in China.”
With the support of its unique IP2B2C full-link service model, Alifish continues to invest in the brand building of Sanrio in three aspects: content, design, and marketing. In 2023, Alifish developed more than 30 sets of graphic libraries for Sanrio; it planned six marketing activities at key points such as Kuromi & My Melody’s Chinese New Year marketing, Cinnamonroll’s birthday month, and the 618 & Double 11 e-commerce shopping festivals, bringing a total of 2 billion exposures. To help Sanrio expand in the Chinese market, Alifish organized two large-scale licensees’ conferences, with more than 1,000 licensees attending to discuss cooperation and share in the grand event. This year, Alifish is expected to develop more than 50 new graphic libraries for Sanrio and create seven more grand themed marketing events. On October 6th-7th, Alifish will host the first Sanrio Fan Carnival in China, Hi! Sanrio Festival in Shanghai; in terms of content, the new animation co-produced by Alifish and Youku for Sanrio is also about to be globally released.
Wu Qian, Vice President of Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group and President of Alifish, said: “As the cooperation between the two parties deepens, Alifish will continue to use its advantages to help Sanrio achieve greater success in the Chinese market and jointly write a brilliant chapter of Hello Kitty and many other IPs of Sanrio in the Chinese market.”
