Brand Shaping and Management of Labubu: From Industry Rookie to Top-Tier IP

The School of Economics and Finance, Xi’An Jiaotong University, Xi’An, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Pop Mart’s Labubu has become a top-tier IP in the global market in a short period of time, which is enough to show that China’s cultural products have achieved a breakthrough in the export process. This paper draws on the theory of symbolic consumption to analyze the brand management mechanism and brand shaping strategy of this product. It is found that the success of this product is related to the four-dimensional operation framework, which can build an emotional container with the help of non-traditional aesthetics, promote the construction of user-generated propagation network, use direct-to-consumer supply chain, and implement modular IP grading. The biggest problem with this model is that it is “weak narrative”, which can avoid cultural discount in the process of global promotion, but it also has risks in the process of cultural hollowing and secondary market speculation, and the life cycle will also change. Therefore, people should deepen the understanding of global IP and achieve the purpose of value co-creation. Brand should achieve a balance between cross-cultural narrative openness and embedded cultural roots to avoid aesthetic fatigue and enhance brand equity.