The blind box, as one of the most money-burning interests of young people at present, has led many people to become "moonlight families".
And Bubble Mart, even more the leader of the blind box industry, is also called the "wallet reaper" who does not talk about martial arts by netizens.
Blind boxes, which refer to toy boxes that customers cannot know the internal products before purchasing, can be traced back to Japanese fukukuroku and gacha, and their biggest features are randomness and low threshold. According to a survey released by Ai Media Data in 2020, among the most "money-burning" hobbies of the "post-95s", the first is to collect blind boxes. After being listed in Hong Kong on December 11, 2020, the leading company Bubble Mart has risen from an issue price of HK$38 to HK$107 per share in less than three months, and its market value has reached more than HK$150 billion.
Just when more and more consumers began to regret their impulsive consumption and vowed to "get out of the pit", the combination of two big brands of Bubble Mart and KFC once again triggered a "bloody storm" in the blind box industry.
The 99 yuan package launched by KFC this time is not unusual in itself, but it is added to a limited hand of KFC and Bubble Mart. It is reported that the handmade of the series is a limited edition to commemorate the 35th anniversary of KFC China, and the protagonist DIMOo is the head IP of Bubble Mart. After "going with the flow", DIMOO became a flying colonel, and a variety of costumes with a strong KFC Style, including Coke, Corn, Ice Cream, as well as super cute fries, hamburgers, and a hidden model.
Since the start of the sale at 10:30 a.m. on January 4, this package has been frantically snapped up by players, and in just over an hour, the news that the designated packages in stores around the world have been sold out.
Many players do not hesitate to spend wildly in order to complete the set of hands. Many social platforms have related topics under the use of cart tow packages, four people eat three consecutive meals of KFC graphic description, and even netizens posted bills, a one-time cost of 10494 yuan directly to buy 106 packages. In addition, in order to help everyone pick the style they want, someone on the platform summarized the specific weight and packaging characteristics of different handmade, and even someone used various instruments to scan the blind box and identify the style by looking at the general shape of the blind box.
For customers who want to collect a complete set of blind boxes, they also need to buy at least 7 packages. As a result, "substitute eating" also came into being. "Dolls belong to you, fried chicken belongs to me", netizens have launched a meal service on social platforms, and the single package fee is basically between 20 and 99 yuan.
On the second-hand platform, you can also search for the purchase and sale information of the series of handmade. At present, on some e-commerce platforms, the price of a single hand of ordinary models has exceeded the price of the package itself, and the invisible model has been sold to a single 799 yuan, which is 8 times the original price. Even with such a high price, the store's monthly sales are still 1000+.
Why are young people crazy about them? For the "layman", the blind box is just a marketing and sales tool for the merchant, and these handmade are themselves toys that have little value. For the "hot sale" of the KFC package, although many people expressed their incomprehension, they had to admit that the interest of young people in blind boxes is being transformed into huge consumption power.
According to the analysis of Bai Huitian, a postdoctoral researcher at Tencent Research Institute, blind boxes are easy to become popular in a social environment with high economic pressure, and behind it is the principle of "lipstick economy". Blind boxes, like lipstick, are not expensive, but they can play a role in pleasing themselves, and for people who do not have high spending power, this "cheap non-essential thing" can play an alternative role.
For Generation Z, who pays more attention to spiritual needs and all-round consumer experience, the IP image presented by the blind box hand office carries various cultures such as tradition, trends, and locomotives, which is the core that consumers value under the blind box packaging. Therefore, tide play is not only a toy, but also a carrier of personality, and the expectation when smoking the blind box and the surprise when opening the box are enough to make people happy.
Unlike lipstick, the blind box as a probabilistic product can cleverly use people's "Diderot effect", that is, people's psychological state is relatively balanced before obtaining an item, and after obtaining it, they will become unsatisfied. According to the data disclosed by Bubble Mart in the prospectus, nearly 70% of trendy toy consumers will buy blind boxes more than three times because they want a series of handmade.
For the majority of consumers, the blind box is only a form of product packaging, and the products in the box are the fundamentals that attract them to consume.
Su Kai, a partner at Sequoia China, said that the role of blind boxes in packaging should not be exaggerated. "Consumers do not lack judgment, not any product packaged in the form of a blind box can be sold, the core is still Molly in the box." The blind box format only adds to the fun in the consumer experience. ”
According to Su Kai, although the update speed of the blind box style seems to be very fast, in fact, from the emergence of a new IP to the launch of a series of products, it will take at least one or two years.
Yan Wuhao, who is a design professional, said: "Just like the main IPs launched by Bubble Mart, they are all precipitated by the artists behind him for a long time and can withstand scrutiny. The lack of 'fast food IP' expressed by the artist's unique language cannot survive in the market. ”
It is reported that Bubble Mart is currently mainly focusing on new image IP. Su Kai explained that IP without background story is suitable for today's Young Chinese who are often anxious and short-lived. What these young people need more is the instant small happiness in the cracks of life, and a kind of emotional companionship. The value of a good IP does not stop at the moment when the blind box is consumed.
Although today's Chinese tide play enterprises are still facing a huge test: how long can the blind box fever last? The blind box is not hot, what can China's tide play enterprises rely on to support it?
However, in any case, the ultimate purpose of the output of these enterprises is basically the same, quoting Wang Ning, the founder of Bubble Mart:
"Today's young people have a high pressure in life and work, a high single rate, and less effective social interaction, and a common favorite IP image can provide them with a pure social bond from outside of work, making people no longer feel so lonely." ”