Shi Congshuang
Tan Xiangling
Liu Xinyi
Zhu Jiaqi
Niu Yunyi
Wang Xin
Case Introduction
MINISO has collaborated with Chiikawa to launch products themed around Chiikawa characters, including Hachiware, Chiikawa, and Usagi. The product range includes standing plush toys, lying plush toys, and pyjama plush toys, as well as lifestyle items like U-shaped pillows, keychains, fans, and bag accessories such as backpack charms and school bag decorations. Additionally, MINISO has opened Chiikawa-themed pop-up stores in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, attracting many fans eager to purchase limited-edition products. However, MINISO has faced public backlash due to this collaboration and has even issued an apology statement.
Reasons for the Failure
1. MINISO’s Disrespect Towards Chiikawa’s Characters: MINISO’s official TikTok account promoted the co-branding by referring to the three main characters—Usagi, Hachiware, and Chiikawa—as "crazy screaming bunny," "blue pants cat," and "retarded crying rat." Fans were outraged by the derogatory use of “retard” to describe their beloved character, leading to a strong backlash. Although MINISO later apologized for the inappropriate wording and removed the video, the incident left a negative impression on fans from both communities.
2. High Prices and Insufficient Supply: Chiikawa has gained immense popularity among young people, resulting in escalating prices. The demand far exceeded the available supply, forcing many consumers to wait in line overnight to purchase products the next day. This situation led to complaints about poor management of the co-branding and a frustrating experience for customers.
Suggestions for Improvement
1. Rigorous and Meticulous Collaboration: When collaborating with other brands or IPs, the work involved must be rigorous and meticulous. For example, in the case of the co-branding between MINISO and Chiikawa, MINISO must do the preliminary work and have a good understanding of the characters and their personalities in the IP. The product's name should be in line with its characteristics and combined with the positioning of the character, and it should be finalized by the IP.
2. Prepare a Public Relations Plan: When problems arise, the brand should respond quickly and take effective measures to salvage the brand image. After the public opinion of MINISO turned bad, the brand quickly rectified the situation and apologized. Now that the linked products of MINISO and Chiikawa are still being sold as popular items, and a series of flash stores have been launched, it can be seen that consumers are satisfied with the handling of MINISO, and the brand image has not suffered too much damage.
3. Optimize Offline Event Planning and Operations: Physical stores should reduce hunger marketing and modify queuing mechanisms to improve the offline experience.
Referring to the characters with derogatory terms like “retarded crying rat” was completely tone-deaf. The Chiikawa characters are beloved, and using such insensitive language alienated not just fans of the brand but also anyone who values respectful and inclusive language. It was a PR disaster, and it’s surprising that such a major misstep made it through the approval process. MINISO clearly didn’t take the time to fully understand the IP or its audience, and that’s a mistake they can’t afford to repeat. While the quick apology was necessary, the damage lingered because fans were hurt, and it made MINISO look careless about its partnerships.
ReplyDeleteThen there’s the issue of supply and demand. It’s great that the Chiikawa collaboration generated so much excitement, but MINISO should’ve known that when you’ve got a hot IP like this, you can’t just sell out immediately. Fans waiting in line overnight only to leave empty-handed was a huge misstep. This is a classic case of hype not matching reality. If you want to capitalize on the buzz, you need to make sure your logistics are in place to meet demand, or else it backfires.
To improve moving forward, MINISO needs to approach collaborations more carefully. They need to ensure their understanding of the IP is solid and that they treat it with the respect it deserves. They should also think about better customer experience, especially in terms of product availability and offline events. The potential for these partnerships is huge, but MINISO needs to step up their game in terms of cultural sensitivity and operational planning.