Why does the small blind box "open" a tens of billions of yuan market
【spotlight】
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what the next piece will taste like." This classic line in the movie "Forrest Gump", if placed now, may be changed to "Life is like a box." Blind box, you never know what will be drawn next."
In recent years, the "blind box fever" has gradually become one of the prominent phenomena in my country's trendy play culture, especially some time ago, as the "blind box first stock" Bubble Mart went on the market, the topic of "why blind box attracts young people" It has also been pushed to the hot search on Weibo many times.
Some people say that the blind box is an IQ tax, and some say that the blind box is like gambling, but in the eyes of more young people, the blind box means a "little luck" that can bring surprises.
With the blessing of young people's vigorous spending power, this "small fortune" has become a major trend, not only forming a market scale of tens of billions of dollars in trendy games, but also becoming popular overseas.
The blind box itself has also been given more cultural connotations after the entry of IP (intellectual property) such as archaeology and cultural relics.
The prevalence of the blind box and other trendy play cultures, what kind of consumer attitudes does it reflect on young people?
In order for the trendy play culture to change from "red" to "long red", how does IP need to exert its strength?
"Never know what is in the next box, but always full of expectations"
Blind box became popular, setting off a new wave of play
[Data]
Small blind boxes are creating a huge consumption trend.
Data shows that in 2019, Bubble Mart's operating income reached 1.683 billion yuan, and its revenue growth in 2018 and 2019 reached 225.4% and 227.2%, respectively.
This consumption boom is not only popular in China, but also becomes popular overseas.
According to a report released by CBN Business Data Center and Tmall Taobao Overseas, overseas blind box online consumption has exploded, with a consumption growth rate of more than 400%, and emerging trends such as Bubble Mart, 52TOYS, and Find Unicorns Hand-made brands are exported to more than 120 countries such as Singapore and the United States, influencing more overseas fashion fans.
The blind box, as the name implies, focuses on "blindness". The same package contains different doll figures. The box usually has the entire series of doll-like pictures, but you don’t know yourself until you finish paying the money and open the box. What style was selected, the "mystery" will be revealed only the moment the box is opened.
If you are lucky, you can also draw special "hidden money".
This kind of surprise brought by uncertainty and the unique image of dolls formed by trendy IP such as Molly and PUCKY have aroused the desire of many people to collect, making the blind box quickly popular as a typical representative of “trend play”.
In stores that sell blind boxes, there are often crowds.
In the display cabinet, dolls are cute and cute, or quirky. The same series draws the hearts of young people with different styles. Many people will pick up the blind box and shake it and listen to it. , Is seriously looking forward to.
Such a scene reminds people of the charm of blind boxes summarized by netizens-you never know what is in the next box, but you are always full of hope.
Of course, to make blind boxes attractive, IP is indispensable first.
Wang Ning, the founder of Bubble Mart, believes that trendy toys are actually art toys. Bubble Mart has grown rapidly, and the core element is IP itself.
Expanding cooperation IP and constantly introducing new ones are also one of the reasons why blind boxes become popular.
As of the first half of 2020, the number of IPs operated by Bubble Mart alone has reached 93, including 12 own IPs, 25 exclusive IPs and 56 non-exclusive IPs.
The strong excitement of high-frequency new products further stimulated the desire of blind box loyal users to buy and collect. The reporter learned that the repurchase rate of registered members of Bubble Mart reached 58%, which means that 58% of members will make a second purchase.
The hot sales scene in Chaowan stores is a huge prospect when projected on the market.
According to data from the consulting agency, from 2015 to 2019, the size of China's trendy toy retail market increased from 6.3 billion yuan to 20.7 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of 34.6%; it is expected that the scale is expected to reach 76.3 billion yuan in 2024.
The amazing growth rate of the trendy play industry has attracted Internet companies such as Youku, Tencent, and Bilibili to launch trendy play products and shows rich in trendy play elements.
In addition, more investment institutions are also accelerating their deployment in this market.
"What I bought is a blind box, and it is a pleasant feeling"
Chaowan captures the needs of young people to upgrade their consumption
[Case]
"Every time a blind box is jointly produced by a Chaowan brand and my favorite IP, I will try to gather all the styles. I feel very satisfied in the process of'buy, buy, buy'. I feel that this way can be used in the love of Asia Find a sense of belonging in a small cultural circle.” Xiao Zhu, who is a graduate student at Renmin University of China, told reporters.
A student from Shanghai Jiaotong University said that she has invested thousands of yuan in blind boxes.
"I first bought the blind box because the dolls in the box were novel and cute. Later, under the obsession of'must gather all', I kept "chopping hands". I feel that these small objects can make life more refined and happier." A classmate said.
According to official statistics of Bubble Mart, 30% of its consumers are between 18 and 24 years old, and consumers between 25 and 29 years old and 30-34 years old account for 26% and 20% respectively. Most of them are young, love novelty and fashion, and have a certain purchasing power.
Tmall’s "Post-95 Player Chopping List" released last year showed that among the post-95’s most “money-burning” hobbies, the trendy play figure ranked first, and the number of blind box collections increased exponentially.
What kind of consumerism does the trendy consumption reflect young people?
Wei Pengju, dean of the Institute of Cultural Economics of the Central University of Finance and Economics, told this reporter that the expansion of the trendy play market reflects the unique consumer concepts and consumer psychology of the current young people.
The blind box has the characteristics of individualization, collection and design, which caters to young people’s love of "cute culture", meets their individual aesthetic needs, and reflects that the spiritual and cultural needs of the new generation of young people are increasing day by day, which is consumption A manifestation of upgrading.
"Chaowan was originally an art toy. Therefore, the aesthetic psychology of young people was taken into account in the design. It is more cartoonish, cute, and warmer, reflecting the young people's requirements for quality life. In addition, blind boxes can bring a kind of A sense of companionship. People in this circle will also socialize in exchanges and sharing. This kind of cultivation and companionship usually makes people feel a sense of belonging and dependence, and releases some spiritual pressure." Associate School of Cultural Industry Research Institute, Peking University Chang Xiangyong told our reporter.
Indeed, young people’s “entering into the pit” blind box often begins with “face value”, but more importantly, cute doll figures are an emotional sustenance for young consumers, adding a bit of expectation and expectation to life. happy.
Wang Ning also said that the blind box is the "little luck" in life, and the essence of Chaowan is to protect consumers' dreams.
It can be seen that what young people buy is blind boxes, which is even more enjoyable.
Some analysis pointed out that trendy games such as blind boxes can bring happiness, companionship, and comfort to people, and at the same time bring social value, so that modern people can obtain happiness in simple ways in a stressful life.
Wei Pengju believes that the current young people's enthusiasm for buying trendy games is not blindly and following the trend of consumption. On the contrary, this reflects their diverse personal choices.
"Blind box playing with the joy of archaeology"
More cultural IPs enter the venue, and small boxes carry greater connotations and surprises
[Phenomena]
Not long ago, a cultural and creative product of Henan Museum made netizens call "the joy of archeology in blind boxes"-"miniature cultural relics" such as bronzes, ingots, bronze Buddhas, copper mirrors, and silver medals were hidden in the soil Consumers pick up the "archaeological artifact" Luoyang shovel to dig the soil layer by layer, and then carefully sweep away the floating dust to see the full picture of the mysterious "cultural relics".
This "archaeological blind box", which combines cultural relic IP with blind boxes, has been enthusiastically sought after as soon as it was launched. Sales of 5 antennas exceeded 500,000 yuan, and 600 blind boxes for emergency replenishment were snatched within 35 seconds And empty.
Blind box injects cultural flavor, and "archaeological blind box" has been out of stock for many times, allowing people to see the new gameplay and new direction of the development of Chaowan culture. Blind box can not only cooperate with the image IP of Chaowan, but also have extensive and profound excellence in my country. Combination of traditional culture.
Trends and traditions are not contradictory. On the contrary, more excellent traditional cultural IPs can enter the venue, which can not only enrich the types of blind boxes, but also give more cultural connotations to the blind boxes and other trendy games, and also give consumers a better understanding of Chinese excellent traditional culture Way.
Under this cognition, in our country, which has abundant traditional cultural resources, it can be said that "everything can be blind".
"Forbidden City Taobao" launched the "Cat Auspicious" theme blind box, with the image of the best-selling cat of "Forbidden City Taobao", incorporating the elements of the Palace such as the Palace of Supreme Harmony, lion, phoenix, Tianma, etc. The temperature of each blind box kitten is a symbol With different auspicious meanings; Shaanxi History Museum's bronze squad series blind boxes are based on the bronze vessels and patterns of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Q version of the hand is designed with reference to the images of owl, gluttonous, Xingda, Xianger, and phoenix. Han and cute; the "National Treasure" cultural and creative product store's Datang Ladies Yoga series blind boxes make the charming maids "possess" various shapes... These blind boxes are not only the coolest ornaments, but also embodies the richness. The historical lingering rhyme has great collection value and cultural value.
Wang Zhenjun, director of the Cultural Industry Research Center of Zhengzhou University, believes that the "archaeological blind box" transforms cultural knowledge from passive instillation to active exploration through the creative transformation of traditional culture, thereby realizing cultural inheritance and consumption upgrading.
At present, the "Generation Z" (people born between 1995 and 2009) represented by the post-95s and post-00s are gradually becoming the main force of cultural consumption.
Ma Xiaolin, the director of Henan Museum, said that the "archaeological blind box" fire demonstrated the charm of traditional culture.
It is hoped that through this form of cultural relics will "live", drive museums into thousands of households, and attract more young people to learn about the profound Chinese culture.
"It is not difficult to cause a short-term consumption boom, but the difficulty is how to maintain the flow for a long time."
Want more lasting vitality, the tide play culture still has a long way to go
[Thinking] A
generation has the trend pursued by a generation. How long can the blind box and other trendy games become popular?
No one can give an answer to this question, but from the perspective of the industry, I always hope that its vitality will last longer.
But the reality is that the current development of the trendy game economy faces many constraints-in terms of kernel, insufficient original IP, single and fixed IP, insufficient connotation and industrial chain, leading to the depreciation and aging of trendy games such as blind boxes, causing consumers " Aesthetic fatigue"; in terms of quality, whether the workmanship of the blind box is worthy of the price has been controversial; in terms of market maturity, the second sale of Bubble Mart was dismantled, which exposed the inadequacy of brand management.
Success or failure is also IP.
Undoubtedly, the competitiveness of blind boxes is determined by the IP value contained in Chaowan itself.
In response to the lack of original IP and other issues, the Chaowan brand has begun to make efforts.
In terms of the connotation and scalability of IP, "Blind Box itself is a social product, and its IP should have a deeper connotation. Now we see that the IP of domestic blind box has not been well extended to animation, animation, movies, and tourism. Other forms. In addition to focusing on fashion, timeliness, and trend, the IP contained in the blind box needs to be further strengthened in terms of depth and connotation, and continue to extend cultural innovation." Xiang Yong said.
In addition to enriching and extending the IP industry chain, the launch of "archaeological blind boxes" also provides some ideas for solving problems.
"The cultural symbols of many museums in our country have profound historical background. The admission of these cultural IPs will give blind box players a sense of belonging to excellent traditional culture." In Wei Pengju's view, the more consensus cultural symbols are, the more popular they are for fun. Value, consensus culture and personalized design can hit more consumers.
Experts say that it is not difficult to cause a short-term consumption boom, but it is difficult to maintain the flow for a long time.
In order to continue the "blind box fever", in addition to continuously injecting new elements, it is also necessary to strictly control the quality. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent the negative impact of high-price hype in time, so that the blind box can truly play the value of fashion.
Trend means change, and it also means that you can't follow but only create. This can be seen from "Changhong" fashion brands such as Lego.
Wei Pengju pointed out that the trendy play itself will not be outdated. Every era has its trend, but it must be updated and iterated constantly. This is the fate of the trendy play industry.
(Our reporter Chen Chen and our correspondent Guo Zixuan)
Stone of Other Mountains
Trendy games in Europe and America mostly evolved from some animation works and movie characters, such as Marvel, DC, Disney, etc., with years of fan culture precipitation.
In Japan, the trendy IP mainly comes from animation, such as One Piece, Naruto, Gundam, etc.
Blind Box’s gameplay can be traced back to the capsule toy series launched by Bandai Japan in 1977. Although capsule capsules are Bandai’s most important business, after 2005, Bandai’s business scope expanded to include toys, online entertainment, physical entertainment, Video and music production and IP creativity and other fields have further strengthened its leading position.
In 2019, among Bandai's various IP revenues (Dragon Ball, Gundam series, One Piece, Kamen Rider, Naruto, Anpanman, Ultraman, etc.), Dragon Ball IP became the money-making IP champion.
The blind box craze in the United States started with Surprise Dolls released in 2016. MGA Entertainment's revenue in 2019 was 9.6 billion U.S. dollars. Nearly 50% of its revenue came from Surprise Dolls, which was about 5 billion U.S. dollars.
The essence of Surprise Doll is the combination of children's toy Barbie and the blind box. The doll body and various accessories are obtained randomly, and more surprises will be obtained during the process of unpacking the box.
In addition, the doll has many additional small functions, such as color change, tearing, etc., which enhance the playability of the blind box.
(Organized by Chen Chen)