Hello Kitty: The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon 1st Edition

by Ken Belson (Author), Brian Bremner (Author)

9 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0470820940

ISBN-10: 0470820942

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Buy used

$9.05

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Shared Knowledge Literacy Foundation, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

18 Used from $2.27

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

4 New from $96.33 18 Used from $2.27

22 used & new from $2.27

See All Buying Options

Free%20Two-Day%20Shipping%20for%20College%20Students%20with%20Amazon%20Student

Now in paperback, the inside story of the cartoon kitty that became a multibillion-dollar global enterprise
The only business book to offer an in-depth exploration of the Hello Kitty phenomenon, Hello Kitty tells the amazing story of how the Japanese company Sanrio bucked the odds and transformed a bulbous, all-but-featureless cartoon critter into a multibillion-dollar global business powerhouse. Readers will learn how and why the Hello Kitty brand clicked with children and adults, across cultures, and how it continues to successfully compete, internationally, with Disney and Warner Brothers. This book is packed with valuable lessons about the awesome power of branding, marketing, and licensing to capture the hearts and minds of consumers.

Ken Belson (Tokyo, Japan) covers Japanese business, economics, and government policy for the New York Times. His work has also appeared in BusinessWeek, Fortune, Bloomberg News, the International Herald Tribune, and Barron's, among others. Brian Bremner (Tokyo, Japan) currently serves as Asia Economics Editor for BusinessWeek and writes a weekly column called "Eye on Japan" for BusinessWeek Online.

Hello Kitty: The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon

Available from these sellers.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Christine R. Yano

20

Paperback
$24.72
Minute Help Guides

5

Paperback
$6.99

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek across the Pacific Paperback

Christine R. Yano

20

$24.72
Hello Kitty Collaborations Hardcover

Sanrio

7

$32.92
Hello Kitty, Hello 40: A 40th Anniversary Tribute Hardcover

Various

15

$21.49
The Unauthorized History of Hello Kitty: The Story Behind Hello Kitty Paperback

Minute Help Guides

5

$6.99

Customers viewing this page may be interested in these sponsored links

(What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A bizarre but strangely addictive read. -- Gulf Business, 17th March 2004

"...a great read with real insight into how clever marketing can find success in highly competitive markets." -- Marketing Business, March 2004

"...tells what must be one of the oddest branding success stories ever..." -- Financial Times, 29 January 2004

“If, like me, you supposed that Hello Kitty was only to be found on pencil cases and stickers…this book will make you think again.” (City to Cities, April/May 2004)

"...tells what must be one of the oddest branding success stories ever..." (Financial Times, 29 January 2004)

"...this book tells the fascinating story of this cute character [Hello Kitty] that has generated close to $1 billion in sales..." (The Chronicle (Reading), 8 January 2004)

"...a great read with real insight into how clever marketing can find success in highly competitive markets." (Marketing Business, March 2004)

“A bizarre but strangely addictive read.” (Gulf Business, 17^th March 2004)

From the Inside Flap

Hello Kitty is Japan's brilliant answer to Disney's Mickey Mouse phenomenon in the U.S. This book explains how Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, turned a cute cartoon cat into a multi-billion dollar global commodity. Hello Kitty merchandise helped Sanrio generate nearly $1 billion in revenue in 2002 partly through licensing agreements with more than 500 companies in Japan and hundreds more overseas. The distinct face of Hello Kitty is now plastered on 22,000 different products and sold in about 40 countries.

Sanrio's biggest success is its ability to create products that appeal not only to children, but women in their 20s and 30s around the world. That's why Kitty adorns not only bedspreads, backpacks and notebooks, but mobile phones, toasters and even cars. The book shows why Hello Kitty products are one of Japan's hottest exports and how Sanrio successfully globalized its “golden egg.”

In telling that story, this book shows how one company bucked the odds and turned a cute cat cartoon character into a ferocious business plan. Readers will learn about how and why the Hello Kitty brand clicked with kids and adults alike and how it continues to compete internationally with the likes of Disney and Warner Brothers.

See all Editorial Reviews

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product details

Hardcover: 210 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 4, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470820942
ISBN-13: 978-0470820940
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.9 x 9.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,139,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #190 in Books > Business & Money > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Industrial
- #207 in Books > Business & Money > Marketing & Sales > Marketing > Product Management
- #256 in Books > Business & Money > International > Global Marketing

If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Customers viewing this page may be interested in these sponsored links

(What's this?)

Customer Reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars

5 star		11%
4 star		45%
3 star		44%
2 star		0%
1 star		0%

Write a customer review

See all verified purchase reviews

Top Customer Reviews

REPETITIOUS

ByJOHN BURYon May 27, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The first part of the book is informative then it get s VERY repetitious. If you are looking for a book about growing a pop culture brand then this is worth a quick read.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

The Story of Hello Kitty

ByKristin Bellon July 2, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

If you are a Hello Kitty fan you might want to know more about how it all got started. Sometimes repetitious, but still fun to read if you are a Hello Kitty fan, this book provides tons of information about Sanrio and Hello Kitty and her makers. It is an interesting story. Did you know Bill Gates tried to buy the copywrite to Hello Kitty? A fun read. Good for summer relaxing or rainy days in a blanket. It will make you love Kitty White even more (if that is possible!)!

0Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

comprehensive... almost

ByA. Gawon September 26, 2004

Format: Hardcover

This book was recommended by a friend who has extensive experience in the consumer goods industry. It was an interesting read, as I'm a fan of Hello Kitty as well as a business school graduate. The authors do a good job of explaining a lot of the background regarding how Sanrio got to where it is today.

One of the things I hoped this book would answer is the question of why Sanrio would distribute its products through a mass retailer like Target. It never even came close to this issue; I'm still curious to know Sanrio's strategy with Target.

I agree with Tristan Beaulieu that the later chapters begin to repeat content from earlier chapters. I'm not sure if this is because it was written by two authors and simply wasn't integrated well enough. Also, some of the earlier chapters refer to vignettes coming later in the book, but it turns out to be a letdown when most of the story has already been revealed by its earlier reference.

0Comment 11 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Strong introduction, Weak follow-up

ByTristan Beaulieuon March 26, 2004

Format: Hardcover

In one of the only books I've ever found attacking directly at the marketing and history of Sanrio without the usage of the cute Sanrio graphics, Belson and Bremmer give more than enough information about the roots of Sanrio, the lines, some of the reasoning for the purchasing, but miss in several other areas. They do not cover why say, Chococat is more popular than Pochacco, or where the company is going to go after the 78 year old CEO, Shintaro Tsuji, retires. Belson and Bremner sort of shrug their shoulders and don't even give us guess.

I feel as if this book could've benefitted a great deal from a better editor. In later chapters, the text began to repeat what earlier chapters had said in the same words, the footnoting system was very irritating, appearing at the end of every chapter. Not something that I want to see. The text starts to wander off into an abridged history of manga, anime, video games, Jpop, typical Japanese pop-culture stuff. If I wanted that, I could go get one of the many many Japanese pop culture books that exist. Light social commentary is put in the back, citing the web response to it.

That being said, the earlier chapters are an interesting read and it is at least worth a look. If only it didn't repeat itself so much...

0Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Corporate Culture of Cute

Byericon January 13, 2004

Format: Hardcover

The book is an interesting account of Kitty's evolution into one of the world's most recognized characters alongside Snoopy and Mickey Mouse -- and of Sanrio, the company that made billions on it. The book tells the story of charismatic founder Shintaro Tsuji and the key people who have promoted and protected Hello Kitty since she was born in 1974. The authors use the character and the company to give a kitten's-eye view of how Japanese companies and culture work. Sanrio's lucky breaks, triumphs and mistakes can help investors better understand what makes Japanese companies sprint and stumble, and for Japan investment novices, Sanrio's history is a great primer on the nation's booms, busts and bubbles over the past 30 years. For Japan experts, Hello Kitty's popularity is a useful model for analyzing other Japanese giants involved in exporting fun. Companies that make videogames and promote cute characters -- including Nintendo Co., Konami Corp., Capcom Co. and Bandai Co. -- are among the hottest stocks in Japan. Other such companies will no doubt emerge, and hints on how to spot them can be gleaned from Sanrio's struggle to understand its pre-teen customers, protect its copyright, and send its kitten around the world.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great concept - poorly written.

Byxprismperfectxon January 8, 2005

Format: Hardcover

I am a huge fan of the Sanrio company and everything it creates and I received this book for Christmas. The writing style is typical of a high school student's book report. The same facts are repeated over and over, making half the book seem like filler. The same numbers and figures and statements are constantly repeated. In short, the book could have been about 30 pages long without the filler.

It backtracks a lot also. It feels like every chapter is written by a new writer who was told to research Hello Kitty (like I said, it repeats). I wish it would have had a more linear style, from beginning to end.

The facts are very interesting though, and learning about the creator was also a nice treat.

0Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Not in depth enough and no really unifying thread

BySonya Carlsonon April 20, 2005

Format: Hardcover

I think the authors were writing this to be used as a textbook for a business class. There was no message beyond Hello Kitty is sucessful. Yeah, I figured that out from the title. Additionally, many details were repeated in multiple chapters. Overall there was no unifying thread from the authors. They didn't tell us their interpretation of why Hello Kitty was successful or how it came to be in their opinion. It was interesting but not earth shattering.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

HELLO KITTY

ByMatt Diamondon April 12, 2004

Format: Hardcover

It?s so easy to trivialize the significance of Hello Kitty?s simple iconic image. But here the authors have skillfully drafted a book that deconstructs the appeal of this cross-cultural phenomenon and the behind-the-scenes machinations of its hugely successful marketing and merchandising.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Customer Images

See all customer images

Most Recent Customer Reviews

A must read for any hello kitty lover

Im a huge hello kitty fan. This book is an excellent insite to not only the booming success of hello kitty, but japanese pop culture in general.

Published on January 28, 2004

English United States

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Interest-Based Ads

Amazon Drive Unlimited Cloud Storage From Amazon	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web	Amazon Business Everything For Your Business

AmazonFresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Handpicked Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Inspire Free Digital Educational Resources	Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go	Amazon Restaurants Food delivery from local restaurants

Amazon Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services	Audible Download Audio Books	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics

CreateSpace Indie Print Publishing Made Easy	DPReview Digital Photography	East Dane Designer Men's Fashion	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities

IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Junglee.com Shop Online in India	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy	Prime Now FREE 2-Hour Delivery on Everyday Items	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	TenMarks.com Math Activities for Kids & Schools

Warehouse Deals Open-Box Discounts	Whispercast Discover & Distribute Digital Content	Withoutabox Submit to Film Festivals	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing	Subscribe with Amazon Discover & try subscription services

Hello Kitty: The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon 1st Edition

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Customers who bought this item also bought

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Customers viewing this page may be interested in these sponsored links

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Inside Flap

Product details

Customers viewing this page may be interested in these sponsored links

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

Customer Images

Most Recent Customer Reviews