2021 is known as the year when the blind box breaks the circle.
Under the trend of "blind box for everything" has intensified, many gold diggers have flocked to the blind box industry, and the blind box industry has shown an unprecedented prosperity. However, recently, Bubble Mart, which became famous for its blind box, manually pressed the pause button and announced the suspension of the custom blind box business.
What's going on?
The chaotic blind box field
This year's CCTV 315 evening party exposed the chaos of the blind box industry behind the bustle, that is, the soaring price of commodities has far exceeded the actual value.
A reporter's investigation found that dolls that were originally worth only 30 yuan could be fried to seven or eight hundred yuan after being packaged by the hand of the "blind box". There are even consumers who throw tens of thousands of yuan in the trench to collect a complete set of blind boxes.
With topics such as "toy blind boxes selling for 700 or 800 yuan cost only 30 yuan" and "consumers spend 10,000 yuan to buy 106 sets of blind boxes" have rushed to the hot search list, Bubble Mart once again stood at the center of the controversy.
In response, Bubble Mart responded that "we reiterate once again that Bubble Mart has not participated in the second-hand market of tide play in any form in the past and will not participate in any form in the future", while saying that "it has adjusted its business for the first time, and in the future authorized cooperation with the food industry, all custom blind box business will be suspended to eliminate possible food waste".
This is not the first time that Bubble Mart has been questioned because of the unique sales form of blind boxes.
At the beginning of this year, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of KFC China, KFC × Bubble Mart to launch a joint series of blind box tide play.
At that time, the game was: as long as you buy KFC's designated fried chicken package, you have the opportunity to get limited to hand-made.
The results of the latter must have been known to everyone, because the hand office is widely popular, under the shortage of supply, the price of the second-hand market has been speculated all the way up, and the "network eating" service has been derived, which has caused waste of food and excessive marketing questions.
The China Consumer Association also came out to speak out: the use of limited-edition blind box sales means to induce and condone consumers to irrationally over-purchase food packages, contrary to public order and good customs and the spirit of the law.
It was full of chicken feathers.
In summary: Bubble Mart chose to suspend the custom blind box business in the authorized cooperation with the food industry, which is also a "correction" behavior.
In view of the various chaos generated by the market after the outbreak of the blind box economy, from the perspective of the brand, and then a strong intervention to prevent problems before they occur.
Scarcity and curiosity
It is reasonable to say that under the increasing transparency and openness of information today, the public can judge the value and price of products more quickly and rationally, and the situation of "wild consumption" is not easy to occur.
Why is it that as soon as the blind box appears, the rational nerves of many consumers collapse in an instant, and sensibility quickly dominates, strongly influencing consumption decisions?
1. Scarcity brings a sense of urgency
Scarce things are more expensive.
Scarcity often easily evokes our inner needs and desires, urging us to act. In the business world, once a product has the attribute of scarcity, the appeal to consumers will increase rapidly.
Brands' use of scarcity is usually reflected in two dimensions: one is time, and the other is product.
A limited-time rush is to use time to create tension for users and imply that they can buy as soon as possible. Limited purchase is to use the quantity to enhance the unavailability of the product and indirectly increase the value of the product.
Blind box marketing mainly uses the principle of scarcity in the "product", by setting "limited edition" and "hidden model", the scarcity attribute of the product is magnified and the consumer's desire to buy is stimulated.
People always cherish scarce resources and unconsciously think that they have higher value. Even if that's not the case.
2. The psychology of curiosity
The first person to eat crabs may not be a warrior, but it must be a person with a heavy hunting heart.
The key point of blind box marketing is "blind", that is, unknown. People's natural curiosity about unknown areas and unknown worlds is a major original driving force for social progress and cultural development.
Blind box products, is to seize this principle, know that things with uncertainty for consumers, especially young consumers, have an irresistible temptation.
And it is.
Under multiple effects, there is today's blind box market. Under the blind box that everything can be blinded, this still emerging industry has gradually exposed development problems.
For example, it is suspected of inducing excessive consumption, such as poor quality of goods, such as inflated prices.
In a market economy, existence is reasonable. The blind box has its unique appeal, which we do not deny.
It's just that there are no rules and no circles, and any industry wants to develop in a long-term and orderly manner, and the brands in it must jointly participate in maintaining a healthy and upward order.
The Bubble Marts still have a long way to go.