Hello Kitty firm strikes China deal after viral hit

Image source, Getty Images

The company behind the Hello Kitty brand struck a licensing deal in China after one of its lesser-known characters went viral.

The company that makes and sells merchandise of its characters will have exclusive rights in China.

In a Chinese social media video, a rabbit named Kuromi was featured.

The shares of Sanrio closed higher in Tokyo.

The five-year agreement with Alifish will further enhance the Sanrio brand and character value in the Chinese mainland market.

Hello Kitty, her best friend My Melody, and the evil Kuromi are some of the characters covered by the deal.

There was a surge in popularity of Kuromi in China earlier this year.

The video was posted by Helenoftroy, who has more than 14 million followers.

On Halloween, Kuromi is described as a "tomboy" who is very feminine. She likes to read romance novels and write in her diary.

Image source, Sanrio

Although Hello Kitty typifies the Japanese culture of "kawaii" or cuteness, the company has said that she is a British schoolgirl.

The brand has generated a lot of money over the years.

Goods with a mouthless cartoon adorned with a trademark hair bow are sold in 130 countries around the world.

The Japanese railway firm splashed the image on its bullet train with pink and white paint.

The business of Sanrio has been declining for several years.

The firm's theme parks and stores were temporarily closed due to measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.

In the year to March this year, the company's sales in China grew 39% to $4.7 billion. The country's profits increased by 19% during the same time.

The first change in leadership happened in 2020.

Tomokuni Tsuji was given control of the company by his grandfather Shintaro Tsuji.

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