Brands out of fads

1. Brands Out Of Fads
How does one build a brand out of what starts life
as a kiddie fad?

2. Contd..
In 1995, Satoshi Tajiri created the world of Pokémon in Japan; it was born out of his
love for collecting insects as a child. Nine years later in India, the mother of 8-year-
old Aditya was hoarding Cheetos as if the world's supply of the puffy snack were
under threat. (In fact, at the time, the emergence of a Cheetos black market was
not entirely improbable.) But, she confesses, she was buying practically the kirana
store's entire stock for her son and what was cohabitating in the pack -Pokémon
tazos. The currency for instant street cred. That was at the peak of Pokémon's
popularity in the country.
Young Indian fans were introduced to the global phenomenon not through the
original Nintendo game but the animated television series and trading cards.
Brands like HUL's Kissan, Uncle Chips and others got a piece of Pokémon action. But
just as fast as its popularity rose, it fizzled out. Since then Pokémon have been
lurking on the fringes, a fate shared by other Japanese imports like the manga
series Beyblade and Hello Kitty. The latter's pervasive influence, at its height, had
reached Mumbai local trains even, where hawkers sold fake Hello Kitty watches
with plastic dials. They lasted as long as a single train ride.

3. Contd..
In 2014, Disney-owned kids channel Hungama TV and brand management company Dream
Theatre, which has syndication and merchandise rights for Pokémon, began to revive
Pokémon in India. But this time the strategy is to not treat Pokémon like a temporary craze.
They're starting from scratch with programing planned for two years from now. “We are
slowly building Pokémon for a whole new generation of consumers,“ says Dream Theatre's
CEO Jiggy George.
Licensees have launched lines across toys, plush, apparel, school gear and stationery.New
categories in the works include footwear, games, puzzles, publishing, party products and
consumer promotions with major FMCGs, particularly food brands, and international QSR
brands. Today, the products are available at standalone and specialty stores and large
formats like Pantaloon, Shopper's Stop and Hyper Cit y, a mong ot hers. And online as well -
F l ipk a r t , Jab on g , Myntra, First Cry and more with 6 0% of sales from Tier I cities, and
the rest from Tier II and III. Says George, “While there is a distinct boys skew ref lective of
viewer ship, we foresee girls warming up to Pokémon.“ The affordable price points will also
make it easier for products to be sold at mom-and pop stores, eventually. The end game -
Pokémon everywhere and infiltrating Indian psyche.

4. Contd..
The challenge is, of course, to keep Pokémon from fading out again. Or fainting like they do
in the series. The game plan is simple. Masami Tanaka, director, The Pokémon Company,
explains that the goal is to create an environment where everybody enjoys Pokémon
regardless of cultural, social or economic background. There's no rush to sell product.
Pokémon's renaissance, however, is entirely driven by the telly series. Disney is pulling out
all the stops with over 30% of Hungama's slots dedicated to Pokémon -7 days a week on
multiple prime time slots. The movies are leveraged as special features to draw in larger
audiences and reruns and marathons for young viewers who don't wish to be left out of
discussions at lunch time in school. Since it first aired in summer of 2014, Pokémon has
reached 34.7 million in dividuals of which 10.1 million are kids. (Source: BARC) Says Vijay
Subramaniam, VP content and communications, Media Networks, Disney India, “We are
fuelling consumption habits by reflecting consumption habits. Also, there's so much
playability inherent in Pokémon.“ Not too long ago, Subramaniam was collecting and
trading Pokémon cards with his then 8-yearold son. Today, the lad's a teenager who left his
monster friends to go study in the US, which is Pokémon's biggest market outside Japan.
On a recent visit home, guess what father and son talked about? Pokémon, of course.

5. Pokémania in Japan
It is summer vacation in Japan and it seems all of Tokyo's nuclear families have descended
on Yokohama for the `Pikachu Mass Outbreak', a street event that began in 2014.Sounds
contagious. And it is. My first encounter with a live Pikachu, the much-loved yellow critter
of the famed Nintendo series Pokémon, was here. But the meeting left me with one
lingering question: Who is the fearless human being inside the 4-foot tall foam Pikachu?
And as 1.5 million sweat-drenched people keep themselves and young children and
toddlers in strollers cool with damp cloths, I can't help but wonder how the heck can they
survive in that costume in 34 degree Celsius weather and under a merciless sun? It's
supposed to be typhoon season, for crying out loud.
The Pokémon Company's Atsuko Shibao tells me this is exactly why to become a Pikachu is
no mean feat. You'd be better off harbouring Samurai dreams. Despite the Pikachu suit's
evolution and specially designed light-foam interiors, it's damn hard. Actors who play
Pikachu, the most popular Pokémon of all, can't be too tall and, thankfully, aren't allowed
to perform beyond a stipulated time of 20 to 30 minutes. They undergo months of training
to refine playacting and dancing skills, contorting their bodies to a 45 degree angle all the
while.

6. Contd..
The company has created an elite force of Pikachu for the outbreak.Because for people
who attend Pokémon events, Pikachu is Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and pre-puberty Justin
Bieber, all rolled into one egg yolk-coloured creature. Pikachu is the reason why toddlers,
teens and adults trek across the vast site for an audience with the Pokémon or a chance to
march with a hundred Pikachu; and huddle around a Toyopet, Toyota cars shaped like
Pokémon, for a selfie.
At the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan), home of Asimo,
the robot, Pokémon activations enthrall people of all ages and types, from rabid fans to
individuals who up until two weeks ago thought, “what the heck is Pokémon?“ The
interactive exercise requires the “research assistant“ to use specially designed machines
that provide clues like height, weight, silhouettes, evolution data, etc, to help one identify
the Pokémon hidden inside a Poké ball. Those who succeed get a badge, and that seems to
be all the reward people need. There's even a Pokémon café not far from the company's
biggest store in Sunshine City, where people wait for hours for a chance to feast on cuddly
Pikachu. “Medium, please?“ We're kidding. They're just steamed buns and sweet treats
prepared to look like Pokémon.

7. Contd..
By Day 3, I'm hearing “Peeka, Peeka, Peeka“ in my sleep even. And I've
had enough. But clearly Japanese fans can't get enough of this two-
decade old fran chise which began life in the d Nintendo Game Boy
system and evolved into telly series, movies, merchandise and mass
cultural events used to boost tourism to cities like Yokohama. And, if
what I've witnessed is any indicator, Pokémania is hardly fleeting. It
seems to be a legacy handed over from one generation of “Trainers“ to
the next.
In Japan, the land where toilets are as smart as phones, the likes of
Pokémon is practically religion.
The writer was in Tokyo at the invitation of The Pokemon Company.

8. For details and bookings contact:-
Parveen Kumar Chadha… THINK TANK
(Founder and C.E.O of Saxbee Consultants & Other-Mother
marketingandcommunicationconsultants.com)
Email :-saxbeeconsultants@gmail.com
Mobile No. +91-9818308353
Address:-First Floor G-20(A), Kirti Nagar, New Delhi India Postal Code-110015