CASE STUDY 2 Hello Kitty and the spread of Nippon Culture.

Answers to Questions:
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 and her colleagues are soft, round, toothless, clawless and mute. As such, they are helpless, inspiring a certain level of protectiveness and affection in youngsters who are replicating the protection and affection given by their parents. The characters are nonthreatening, as opposed to battling Pokemon and kickboxing Power Puff Girls, again reinforcing the need to protect them. The characters have no discernible cultural features [although it is difficult to imagine an Asian or African kitten!] meaning that they can cross country and cultural boundaries with limited cultural baggage [other than the Made in Japan tag]. 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 [think Jeeps and condoms!]. Some authors have suggested that this phenomenon can be explained by the stress caused by Asias 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 Im sad .... I buy some Hello Kitty things to feel better. Or the 34 year old man commenting on Tare Panda [a Hello Kitty clone] a mere glance at it makes me melt. Do you think Hello Kitty would appeal to 34 year olds in countries like Australia? Even in tough economic times or times of political uncertainty? Do you think pop icons like Christina Aguilera wearing Hello Kitty t-shirts will make it socially acceptable for adults to wear a tshirt with what many perceive to be childrens characters? 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 1

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. 4. One scholar remarked that Young people can mistakenly regard Japanese culture as their own. [source: Cute Power Newsweek International, 1999] Discuss this from the perspective of market segmentation and the impact on individual Asian cultures? Much has been written about the emergence of global market segments, fuelled in part by the global expansion of western style retailing and global communication tools/sources such as the Internet and MTV. One global segment that has generated a lot of interest is global teens. The belief is that teens/youth in one country share more in common with teens/youth in other countries than they do with other groups within their own country. However, not all agree that this global teen segment exists. Those arguing that teens are the first global segment cite a convergence of tastes, needs and desires amongst teens around the world and the commercial products such as G-shock watches, Diesel jeans and Vans shoes that they purchase in the global mall to satisfy their needs. They would also cite the importance of international communication sources such as MTV, CNN and Asias Star TV for exposing teens to the same advertising messages as well as the Internet in bringing together teens around the world in real time communication. Those arguing against considering teens as a global segment cite cultural, economic and religious differences as powerful barriers to overcome when marketing to teens in a global context. Proponents of the global teen segment would argue that Asian youths, like their Western counterparts, are adopting Japanese culture not because it is Japanese or Asian but because it is in. They would argue that Japanese culture can in fact become the culture of the global teen - of course, until the next in thing comes along. Critics would argue the opposite and would agree that teens/youth will regard Japanese culture as their own, ignoring or abandoning their own indigenous cultures. They would argue that if the youth do not embrace their own unique cultural heritages [e.g. Malaysian, Tibetan] that cultural artefacts such as dance, music and costume as well as cultural traditions and heritage will be lost. 5. Many believe that much of the spread of Nippon culture has been fuelled by massive marketing campaigns. What responsibility do marketers have towards consumers in terms of both the acknowledgment and preservation of individual cultures? Many of the same commentators in Asia who feared that Asian consumers were selling their culture for a Big Mac [seen by many as the icon of Americanisation/globalization] now fear that Asians are selling their individual cultures for Japanese products. Protesters of globalization and the impact of globalization on individual cultures would likely see little difference between a takeover by American pop culture and a takeover by Japanese pop culture - either essentially overtaking/destroying local indigenous cultures. There are no easy answers to questions as to the responsibility owed by marketers, with many ethical, moral and economic arguments advanced.