The revelation of LABUBU's popularity: Decoding Pop Mart's star-making techniques and its overseas expansion strategy

When a LABUBU doll is hung on the Thai princess' handbag and when BLACKPINK member Lisa releases blind box opening videos for three consecutive months, this trendy elf with 9 fangs is sweeping the global market at an alarming speed. This article deeply analyzes the business logic behind LABUBU's phenomenal popularity and reveals the key strategies for China's trendy toys to go global.

1. The art of developing a phenomenal IP: the four core elements that made LABUBU so popular

1. Subversive art design creates memorable moments

• Visual impact : The "ugly and cute" design with pointed ears, fangs, and fluorescent colors breaks the traditional aesthetic framework, and its recognition is 47% higher than that of conventional trendy toys (Pop Mart 2023 Annual Report)

• Personality : Set as a "naughty but kind" elf, through the picture book story, the contrasting cute behaviors such as twisting off the skull and kicking it like a ball are extended, accurately hitting the emotional needs of Generation Z who are "cold on the outside but warm on the inside"

2. Immersive experience economic layout

• Offline park interaction : Beijing Pop Mart City Park has set up more than 20 interactive scenes, with visitors staying for 135 minutes (the industry average is 72 minutes), and the conversion rate of derivatives increased by 60%.

• Performance retail : The specially made 1.2-meter-tall dynamic puppet can perform 36 impromptu reactions such as falling and slapping the ground. The social media communication volume is 300% higher than that of static displays.

3. Social Monetization Operation

• Emoji Economy : Official release of 200+ animated stickers, "Ai-akimbo Tsundere Face" downloads exceeded 10 million on Instagram in a single month

• UGC ecological cultivation : Xiaohongshu #labubu Baby Tutorial topic has accumulated 230 million views, and the premium rate of hidden items on Xianyu platform has reached 800%

4. Accurate emotional anchoring

• Lonely economic carrier : 92% of collectors use LABUBU as a "desktop partner", with an average daily interaction time of 32 minutes

• Cultural identity : deeply bound with street culture and the second dimension circle, forming a pass to the subculture circle

2. Practical strategies for the overseas expansion of trendy toys: the rules for breaking the circle from Southeast Asia to the world

1. The Three-Level Evolution Theory of Cultural Fusion

2. The Iron Triangle of Localized Operations

• Channel innovation : Cooperate with 7-11 to set up blind box vending machines, covering 93% of convenience stores

• Star matrix : From royal family members to top artist Lisa, a communication chain has been formed, driving the Thai market to account for 41% of overseas revenue

• Node Marketing : The limited edition for the Water Splashing Festival is made of waterproof material, with a repurchase rate of 35%

3. Cross-circle penetration model

1. Core Circle : Hosting the Asian Trendy Toy Exhibition, gathering 200+ designers to create a cultural landmark

2. Interest Circle : Jointly launched an emoji package with Line Friends, with over 2 million downloads in a single day

3. Dazhongquan : Product placement in the local TV series "The Perfect Match" led to a 170% increase in peripheral sales

3. Future prospects of the 100 billion trendy toy market

• Consumer groups expand : from Generation Z (264 million people) to the elderly, with the proportion of consumers aged 40+ increasing to 18%

• Technology-enabled experience : AR blind box disassembly function increases online conversion rate by 45%, and NFT digital collection premium rate reaches 300%

• Industry collaborative upgrade : The capacity utilization rate of traditional toy manufacturers increased to 85%, and the efficiency of designer platform incubation increased by 3 times

Conclusion: Survival rules in the trendy toy 3.0 era

The success of LABUBU proves the effectiveness of the business logic of "emotional economy + cultural empowerment". As the trendy toy industry enters a new stage of "IP personalization, experience theatricalization, and value symbolization", only brands that continue to create emotional anchors, deepen cultural insights, and build an ecological closed loop can truly achieve a qualitative change from commodity to cultural symbol.