Brands & Branding and Private Labels Case Study

Brand Gendering: Hello Kitty Turns Unisexual

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Abstract:
Hello Kitty, a cat-like logo, developed by Sanrio Company of Japan in 1974, caught on to the imagination of young Japanese girls. The target segment for the brand expanded, with these girls achieving adulthood and its product range encompassed pencils to necklaces. Though developed initially by Sanrio for merchandising within Japan, Hello Kitty obtained recognition in other countries as well and was licensed globally. However, within Japan, the brand was aging and also facing competition from foreign competitors. Sanrio, in 2007, decided to extend the brand to menswear sensing an opportunity. The success of Hello Kitty as a unisex brand remained to be seen.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To study the evolution of the Hello Kitty brand
• To study the brand attributes of Hello Kitty
• To analyse the target segment of Hello Kitty
• To discuss the future of Hello Kitty as a unisex brand.

Keywords : Kitty, Hello Kitty, Brand Gendering, Unisex Brand, Brand Merchandising, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Fatigue, Business, Strategy, Market Leadership, Branding Case Study, Competitive Advantage