Multichannel Marketing for Hello Kitty's 40th Birthday at McDonald's

It's that time of year again: McDonald's Singapore has just released a new limited-edition set of Hello Kitty plush toys for purchase with certain menu items, to celebrate the iconic kitty's 40th birthday. Every Monday, a new kitty character will be released until all 6 toys are available for purchase.

In the past, such promotions prompted crowding and near-riots as collectors rushed to get their favourite kitty at a local McDonald's restaurant. This year, the promotion is a very digital event, with Facebook photos and posts, online ordering at the McDonald's Singapore website and more.

On the first day of sale, online purchasing was interrupted when the website crashed due to high volume. Demand remains strong, which is why McDonald's is limiting the number of sets available to each buyer.

Although offering Hello Kitty as a sales promotion is intended to increase footfall and food purchasing, McDonald's is wise to avoid logistical problems with a multichannel strategy of optional online ordering. The restaurant chain has also teamed up with SingPost, Singapore's postal service, to deliver sets to collectors at home or at pick-up stations, a smart channel choice to relieve crowding in the restaurants.

In fact, SingPost is joining the Hello Kitty birthday celebration by selling special stamps and other merchandise. Watch for more Hello Kitty merchandise worldwide as the iconic brand continues its celebration.

Hello Kitty: Marketing kawaii (cute)

Cute beer? Yes, Japan's superstar licensed character, Hello Kitty, now has her own branded, low-alcohol fruit-flavoured beer. Given Hello Kitty's high kawaii (cuteness) factor, beer might not seem quite appropriate for a brand that has children as its primary target market. Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, insists that young women in China and Taiwan are the actual target for this product, because they have literally grown up with the brand. The kitty character was launched 40 years ago, and her appeal crosses national and generational boundaries.

Hello Kitty's pop-culture cachet has made it a perfect partner for Western celebrities and brands eager for recognition and acceptance in Asia. Lady Gaga did a photo shoot in November to promote a Hello Kitty doll in her likeness. Other performers (including Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne) have also been photographed with Hello Kitty for promotional purposes. Avril even released a song called 'Hello Kitty' on her latest CD.

Sanrio earns more than 4 billion pounds each year from sales of Hello Kitty merchandise. It's no surprise that Hello Kitty is extremely social: Her Facebook page has nearly 14 million likes. Kawaii!