Pop Mart isn’t just selling toys—it’s selling emotional experiences, and the numbers prove it. In 2024, this Chinese 潮玩 (cháo wán, “trendy play”) giant hit $18 billion in market cap and grew overseas revenue by 375.2%. For foreign brands entering China, Pop Mart’s playbook offers a masterclass in leveraging emotion, scarcity, and hyper-localization to win over digitally savvy consumers. This article DDC will explore how Pop Mart achieved its success, and how overseas companies can adopt similar marketing strategy to thrive in China’s dynamic online landscape.
1. Shift from Product-Centric to Emotional Value Selling
Pop Mart’s core insight: Products are vessels for emotional narratives. Each IP embodies a cultural archetype resonating with unspoken youth anxieties:
LABUBU (rebellion) represents Gen Z’s craving for self-expression against societal conformity.
CRY BABY (vulnerability) challenges China’s “toxic positivity” by normalizing sadness.
MOLLY (childlike innocence) taps into young adults’ nostalgia amid rapid urbanization.
Why this works in China: 68% of Chinese Gen Z prioritize “spiritual fulfillment” over functionality (Ipsos 2024). Emotional IPs become social currency — owning a CRY BABY signals emotional honesty on Xiaohongshu.
Actionable Marketing Strategy for Foreign Brands:
Identify emotional gaps: A skincare brand could reframe serums as “self-empowerment rituals” instead of anti-aging solutions.
Embed cultural metaphors: Pop Mart’s SKULLPANDA “Ink Plum Blossom” series fused streetwear with Tang Dynasty poetry, driving a 200% resale premium7. For Western brands, consider integrating Chinese folklore (e.g., Moon Rabbit motifs for Mid-Autumn campaigns).
2. Engineer Scarcity & Community via Blind Box Economics
The 盲盒 (máng hé, blind box) model is a masterclass in behavioral psychology:
Probability manipulation: Hidden pull rates (e.g., 1:144 for rare variants) create instant collectibles.
Social trading ecosystems: 50%+ repurchase rate; fans trade duplicates on Xianyu (Idle Fish), with rare LABUBUs reselling for 2,300% above retail.
Gamified discovery: Apps like “POP MART Global” enable virtual unboxing before purchase — reducing decision friction while boosting engagement.
China-specific adaptation: Unlike Japan’s Gachapon (individual play), Chinese blind boxes thrive on social sharing. Douyin hashtags like #泡泡玛特盲盒(#PopMartBlindBox) accumulate 2.14+ billion views, turning unboxing into public performance.
Actionable Marketing Strategy for Foreign Brands:
Limited editions with tiered rarity: Fashion brands could release accessory capsules with 1:20 “secret designer collab” items.
Regionalized mystery packs: Food & beverage brands might create Sichuan spicy chocolate or Jiangsu crab roe-flavored snack boxes for unboxing videos.
3. Build IPs Through Co-Creation, Not Monologues
Pop Mart’s IP matrix diverges from Disney’s top-down storytelling:
Global artist sourcing: 100+ designers worldwide blend Nordic folklore (LABUBU) with Chinese ink painting techniques.
User-generated lore: Fans invent backstories for DIMOO, spawning 480,000+ Weibo fanfics.
Cultural remixing: Collaborations like Samsung Museum’s bronze figurines embed 3,000-year-old Shu Kingdom heritage into vinyl art.
Localization insight: In Thailand, LABUBU wore traditional Sabai costumes and was named “Tourism Ambassador” — a title previously held by human celebrities.
Actionable Marketing Strategy for Foreign Brands:
Co-create with Chinese artists: European furniture brands could partner with 故宫文创 (Gùgōng Wénchuàng) for “East-West Fusion” collections.
Crowdsource designs: Gaming companies might let Douyin users vote on character skins via poll stickers.
4. Dominate Platform-Specific Commerce Ecosystems
Pop Mart tailors tactics per platform — no copy-paste marketing. Below is a breakdown of their platform-centric approach:
Douyin (TikTok China): Serves as an interactive discovery hub. Pop Mart uses multi-account livestreams with IP-specific virtual “rooms” (e.g., a MOLLY-themed stream with cartoon filters). This drove 115-120% sales growth in 2024.
Tmall: Functions as a premium showcase. Features include AR-powered flagship stores where users “place” life-sized figurines in their homes via phone cameras. Limited collabs (e.g., with故宫博物院, the Palace Museum) lift average order values by 40-60%.
WeChat Mini-Programs: Focuses on community retention. Integrated features like player show, virtual unboxing games and gifting options lock in superusers, achieving member repurchase rates far exceeding industry averages.
Actionable Marketing Strategy for Foreign Brands:
Douyin: Launch viral challenges like “Show your weirdest unboxing” with branded filters.
Tmall: Reserve for high-end launches with exclusive Chinese zodiac-themed packaging.
WeChat: Build member communities for early-access voting (e.g., letting fans choose next product colors).
5. Hyper-Localize Without Losing Global Soul
Pop Mart’s “glocalization” balances universal appeal with regional quirks:
Pricing intelligence: Blind boxes cost £10+ in the UK (positioned as luxury) vs. 7-24% markup in Southeast Asia.
Cultural deep dives: LABUBU became Thailand’s tourism mascot; Louvre collabs in France elevated artistic credibility.
Staff localization: 90%+ overseas teams are locals who curate regional assortments (e.g., mooncake-scented diffusers for Mid-Autumn in Singapore).
Actionable Marketing Strategy for Foreign Brands:
Hire in-country anthropologists: To identify micro-trends like the Hanfu revival movement.
Adapt product semantics: Skincare brands might emphasize “porcelain-like radiance” to align with Chinese beauty ideals.
Festival integration: Limited edition packs with rabbit motifs for Moon Festival gifting.
The Cultural Takeaway: From Transactions to Emotional Ecosystems
Pop Mart proves that in China’s fragmented digital landscape, products serving as emotional conduits win lifetime value. Foreign brands must pivot beyond functional benefits:
Community > Advertising: User-generated content (UGC) drives around 6x higher engagement than branded posts.
Cultural hybridity > Literal translation: Thai-Labubu’s success came from redesigning IPs locally, not dubbing Chinese slogans.
Data agility > Rigid planning: Pop Mart’s 48-hour product iteration cycles (e.g., adding QR codes for fan fiction after observing Xiaohongshu trends).
As Pop Mart CEO Wang Ning asserts: “Globalization isn’t selling cheap goods — it’s making the world pay for your culture.” The brands thriving will transform coffee, lipstick, or headphones into vessels for belonging, identity, and joy.
Pop Mart’s success in China offers a blueprint for overseas brands looking to make an impact in the Chinese market. The key is to adapt marketing strategies to fit the unique cultural and market dynamics of China, ensuring that the brand resonates on a personal level with its audience. With careful planning and execution, overseas brands can achieve the same level of success that Pop Mart has enjoyed.
