[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-133510-en":3,"doc-seo-133510-105":31,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":28,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":29,"read_time":30},133510,962075006959,"Anda","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/e0002397efbe92a78e?_k=1776741047341049297",2,"Literature","Hello Kitty's Popularity and Its Change of Representation","Since “Hello Kitty” entered the market in 1974, Sanrio Co., Ltd. has built substantial profits not only from Kitty products but also from global licensing, revealing a sales strategy oriented toward broad international penetration. The paper examines Kitty’s history, its product range, and Sanrio’s licensing and promotion approach, including comparisons with American Girl. It also analyzes the attraction “KITTYLAB,” where users customize Kitty parts, demonstrating how the cultural icon’s image can be altered through design and consumer interaction.","World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology  \nInternational Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences  \nVol:9, No:1, 2015  \nHello Kitty's Popularity and Its Change of  \nRepresentation  \nMiho Tsukamoto  \norg/Publication/10000756  \nScience Index, Humanities and Social Sciences Vol:9, No: 1, 2015 waset .  \nInternational  \nAbstract—Since “Hello Kitty” was manufactured in the market in 1974, the manufacturer, Sanrio Co., Ltd. gains high profits not only Kitty’s products but also Kitty license, which gives us a picture of Sanrio’s sales strategy in the global market. Kitty’s history, its products, and Sanrio’s sales strategy are researched in this paper. Comparing it to American Girl, and focusing on KITTYLAB, a type of attraction where you can enjoy games with Kitty, and choose its parts to build your own Kitty, the image of the cultural icon can be altered.  \nKeywords—American Girl, Change, Kitty, Popularity  \nI. INTRODUCTION AFKTitERty” it[s1]mfassigurme,acntrodionaluctionwhite inca1t,974has, thebeco“Hmeelloa Japanese cultural icon and thought of by many Japanese people as being “kawaii” (“cute”) . The “Hello Kitty” character also known as “Kitty” has been used or integrated into many products such as iPods, PCs and laptops, Nintendo 3DS Gameboys, Play Station, games, telephones, televisions, buses, jewelries, watches, clothing items, edible products such as macaroni, stationery items, postal stamps, golf balls, coins, etc.  \nMany international celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears have purchased Kitty products and displayed them openly. Although Kitty is just a fictional character, its notoriety has helped to serve as an“ambassador” to UNICEF three times, and to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.  \nThe manufacturer, Sanrio Co., Ltd. sold the Kitty license to Walmart in the US, and maintains a Kitty character brand office in Milan, Italy [2]. It endeavors to promote Kitty brands all over the world. This gives us a picture of Sanrio’s sales strategy in the global market. Moreover, the third-generation creator of Hello Kitty, Yuko Yamaguchi, reveals that she intentionally changes its styles every five years so that consumers will never get tired of Kitty’s appearance. Although Kitty’s successors recommended keeping Kitty’s original appearance, Yamaguchi has drastically changed its shape and form through time. After the opening of“KITTYLAB,” a new type of attraction, in 2011, the concept changed further. In “KITTYLAB,” you can enjoy games with Kitty, and choose its parts to build your own Kitty. You can select parts of its hair style, its eyes, its nose, its ribbon, and outfits, which totally alters the image of the cultural icon. In this respect, Kitty’s history, its products, and Sanrio’s sales strategy will be examined. Moreover, Kitty’s popularity in terms of its distinct characteristics and its changes in its  \nTsukamoto Miho is a graduate student of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto, Japan. (phone: (81)-978-33-3264; fax:(81)-978-33-3264;  \n[e-mail: miho-tu@ asahi.email.ne.jp](e-mail: miho-tu@ asahi.email.ne.jp)).  \nimage, as impacted by “KITTYLAB” with a comparison of American Girl by the Pleasant Company, will be analyzed.  \nII. KITTY’S HISTORY AND ITS POPULARITY  \nKitty’s products are vast ranging from food items, cosmetics, furniture, buses, cars, PCs, jewelry, stationary goods, and other collaborated products like stickers, plates, and lunch boxes. We, in Japan, are inundated with various Kitty’s products. If you live in Japan, you can easily purchase Kitty’s goods naturally as you would go to McDonald, or Kentucky Fried Chicken to buy fast food. Its appeal and popularity resulted in Sanrio opening an indoor amusement park called Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park in Malaysia and BLACK WONDER in Hong Kong in 2012 related to consumers growing awareness and acceptance of Kitty products outside of Japan.  \nNow we see Kitty’s history and","cbCaittSikEtUZDd","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaittSikEtUZDd","pdf",494099,4,1,6,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n# Kitty’s History and Its Popularity\n## Kitty’s Change and Its Production\n## KITTYLAB and Image Transformation","[{\"question\":\"What is the focus of this paper on Hello Kitty?\",\"answer\":\"It studies Hello Kitty’s popularity, its historical evolution, and how its representation changes through products, licensing, and the “KITTYLAB” attraction.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Sanrio’s strategy relate to Kitty licensing?\",\"answer\":\"The paper explains that Sanrio earns high profits from both Kitty products and Kitty license sales, using global distribution and promotion to strengthen the brand.\"},{\"question\":\"What does “KITTYLAB” change about Kitty’s image?\",\"answer\":\"“KITTYLAB” allows consumers to enjoy games and assemble/customize a Kitty by selecting parts like eyes, nose, ribbon, and outfits, which shifts the cultural icon’s representation.\"}]","Hello Kitty's Popularity and Its Change of Representation | 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