Category Archives: Business

Hello Kitty Supercute Festival Cancelation

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The mystery deepens

“Alas, the tour went kaput. A spokeswoman says VEE, the company overseeing the festival, decided not to continue with the fall/holiday leg. VEE “was acquired just as the tour launched; the new ownership had a different vision for the organization,” she says.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/08/14/say-goodbye-to-the-hello-kitty-supercute-tour/

All  along was it VEE intention to walk away from the tour?  Sanrio at times  misses when picking  partners for collaborations .They are great for retail products like Tokidoki   and Loungefly, but  miss the mark  when it came to game like Aiea games for Hello Kitty Online and  VEE corporation for  Supercute  Festival. What puzzling is why, VEE does the  Sesame Street traveling  shown, that attract the same number as the Hello Kitty Supercute  Festival but  Hello Kitty  is not.  Is it because Vee doesn’t care to do interactive shows but prefer higher per show attendance volume stage shows?

Over all Sanrio made a poor choice partnering with VEE.  Still we can hope Sanrio  can fine a new partner or push it to Sanrio Entertainment.

Sanrio Other Business

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When one thinks of Sanrio , what come to mind? Usually Hello Kitty and other  cute characters, but  while  Hello Kitty was just barely  off the  drawing board, the owner Shintaro Tsuji had other plans: Media and Hollywood.  From the  mid 1970’s to 1980 Sanrio  cranked out  a number of  films  most  had moderate success  but one film  in particular Metamorphoses  was a bomb.  Eventually  Mr. Tsuji  put his  film making  ambitions on the back burner, shut down  its California office,  and concentrating the growing popularity  of Hello Kitty. Now Sanrio wants to reenter  the  entertainment  business.  First Sanrio is releasing one of  their early  attempt  of filmmaking: The  Nut Cracker.  Second  Sanrio is reentering  the entertain business with  Sanrio Pictures Entertainment, and there’s Show by Rock.

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Did Sanrio Say Goodbye To The USA?

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Ok we got a new EVA Hello Kitty jet run from Taipei to Houston. Yet there now the Hello Kitty Men project, Nendo Hello Kitty shirt line and then there the Hello Kitty collaborations with DC comics. The problem is none of it happen here in the US of A. Since Sanrio abandoned retail in the US last year, there is not much going on. A few stores in Portland are selling a small number of items and there was the 24 inch plush sold by Toys are us for $34.00 (I got my for $19.00 on Black Friday. Other than that there been slim pickings in my neck of the woods.

Dear Sanrio We male fans do exist in the US when will we get our Sanrio / Hello Kitty line?

Hello Kitty Men Project Part II

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As I posted  earlier, Sanrio has entered the  men’s market  with the  Hello Kitty Men Project . Sanrio is  trying make Hello Kitty cool for men. I am glad  for the  effort but  puzzled by the small scale of the project  and  subtleness of the line. First I was hoping for  something  more overtly Hello Kitty than just a  bow. Not  just bow,  I want to see  Hello Kitty on the men’s line.

Another issue as reported in Forbes magazine  there was only limited quantity and limited  number stores in Japan especially for  the shoes. I was hoping for a  larger release  especially in the US.

Moreover, nobody thought in 2010 a show about magical ponies aimed at little girls  would attract a large group of men and teens. The Bronies proven it can be done, but unlike Hasbro, Sanrio always wanted the male market.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-02-02/hello-kitty-men-fashion-line-adds-fabulous-loafers-denim-jackets/.84009

http://www.sanrio.co.jp/news/kt-men-lumine-20150202/