Much Ado About Labubu: How a Quirky Doll Became Asia's Must-Have Collectible
In the ever-evolving landscape of collectible toys, few items have captured the imagination of Southeast Asian consumers quite like the Labubu doll of late, perhaps almost out beating Action City Be@rBrick toys. Created by artist Kasing Lung in 2015, these impish creatures with their distinctive pointy ears, sharp teeth, and mischievous smiles have transformed from niche collectibles into a cultural phenomenon that's reshaping the luxury toy market starting this year.
In this case study, I would like to share some insights around the phenomenal rise to fame of the Labubu toy.
The Power of Celebrity Influence
The Labubu craze reached new heights in early 2024 when BLACKPINK's Lisa shared photos of herself with Labubu plushies on social media. This single action triggered a dramatic chain reaction across Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, where the dolls quickly became must-have accessories. The impact was immediate and substantial—prices soared from their original THB 550 (USD 16.3) to an astounding THB 10,000 (USD 296.3) in resale markets.
More Than Just a Toy. It’s a Cultural Statement
What makes Labubu's success particularly fascinating is its evolution from what seems like a simple toy to a multifaceted cultural icon. Today, Labubu dolls serve several distinct purposes:
Fashion Statement
Commonly seen adorning luxury bags like Birkins and Kellys; lending a somewhat quirky touch
Used as sophisticated accessories by fashion influencers
Integrated into personal style statements that consumers consider as being representative of their personality
Status Symbol
Limited editions create exclusivity, which in turn create demand
Rare pieces command premium prices similar to luxury bags
Ownership signals cultural awareness and sophistication of a different level
Investment Asset
Collectors view certain editions as investment opportunities, perhaps no different from say a Louis Vuitton Vivienne Doll
Limited releases drive speculative purchasing
Secondary market values continue to appreciate due to scarcity
Labubu Rise to fame across of SEA
The spread of Labubu fever across Southeast Asia reveals interesting market dynamics:
Thailand
The first Labubu-themed store in Bangkok generated USD 1.4 million on opening day
This was backed by strong celebrity and influencer adoption
Plus clever integration with tourism promotion initiatives
Singapore
Successfully localized through special editions (e.g., Merlion Labubu keychain)
Backed by strong retail presence
Supported by high engagement among young professionals, where it was reported someone spent as much as $10,000 a month on the dolls!
Malaysia and Indonesia
Seeing growing market penetration
Especially rising popularity among 18-35 consumers
Backed by increasing presence through pop-up stores and online platforms
The Psychology Behind the Phenomenon
The unprecedented success of Labubu can be attributed to several psychological factors:
Emotional Connection
It bears design elements that trigger protective instincts
Its features appeal to both childlike wonder and adult sophistication
All this invoke strong nostalgic elements
Community Building
Active online collector communities encourage its spread and rise to fame
Rampant online sharing of experiences and increase in trading platforms
Driven by active social media engagement
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Effect
Limited releases create sense of urgency
Blind box format adds to excitement and mystery
Exclusive collaborations with other brands and artists further drive demand
Business Strategy Insights
The Labubu phenomenon offers valuable lessons in product marketing and brand building:
Successful Elements:
Strategic use of scarcity
Effective celebrity partnerships
Strong social media presence
Local market adaptation
Quality control and authentic design
What’s Next Labubu?
As Labubu continues to capture hearts and wallets across Asia, several trends are worth watching:
Market Expansion
Growing presence in new regional markets outside of SEA
Potential for global reach
Diversification of product lines
Cultural Impact
Integration into local fashion scenes, including luxury fashion
Influence on collector culture, including more cross-collaborations
Evolution of luxury toy market
Brand Development
New collaborations and partnerships with other prominent influencers, designers and artists
Product line expansions for more Labubu merchandise
Digital presence enhancement, including Labubu games or metaverse
Key Takeaways
The Labubu phenomenon demonstrates how a well-designed product, combined with strategic marketing and cultural relevance, can transcend its original purpose to become a cultural touchstone, if it addresses a customer’s emotive need or desire. Not just that, when the opportunity strikes, as in the case of the organic endorsement by BLACKPINK's Lisa, the brand cleverly capitalizes on that burst of fame to quickly take the market by storm.
Its success offers valuable insights for brands looking to create similar impact:
Authenticity in design matters
Celebrity endorsements can catalyze growth and often, organic endorsements are becoming even more powerful than paid ones
Local market adaptation is crucial (e.g. merlion Labubu)
Community building drives sustained engagement
Scarcity can create value due to FOMO when managed and timed properly
As the collectible market and social media landscape continues to evolve, Labubu stands as a testament to the power of combining artistic vision with strategic market development, powered by clever use of social. Its journey from a simple toy to a cultural phenomenon provides a fascinating case study in modern brand building and consumer behavior.
Mad About Marketing Consulting
Advisor for C-Suites to work with you and your teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.
Citations:
[1] https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/the-rise-of-labubu-plush-toy-trend
[2] https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/10/21/labubu-doll-craze-drives-enthusiasts-to-spend-thousands
[3] https://says.com/my/lifestyle/what-is-labubu
[4] https://www.prestigeonline.com/th/lifestyle/art-plus-design/what-is-labubu-faq-where-to-buy-origins-price-kasing-lung-lalisa-manobal/
[5] https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/things-know-about-labubu-pop-mart-409246
[6] https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/celebrities-labubu-collection
[7] https://www.reddit.com/r/askSingapore/comments/1ftj7mt/whats_with_the_labubu_craze/
[8] https://novelship.com/news/8-fun-facts-about-labubu-the-toy-that-stole-hearts-worldwide/
[9] https://kr-asia.com/southeast-asia-is-the-next-playground-for-trendy-toys-and-brands-are-cashing-in
Why Your Employees Can Be Your Best Brand Ambassadors
Today’s post is back to one of my favorites around employer branding, social media profiling and how some companies are still under utilizing it.
In the aspect of social media profiling and using it for brand, I personally find B2B companies slightly more advanced, especially in the LinkedIn space as compared to B2C. B2C brands have been largely posting more entertainment type of content when it comes to employer related branding efforts or lots and lots of corporate social responsibility types of content. Photos of tree planting, employees walking or running or swimming or all three for charity, shaking hands with the local government officials, sharing the limelight on some customer events and then some…
B2B companies do that too of course but they do also often go a step further to empower their employees more to be their brand advocates. This is often done through their own subject matter experts or key opinion leaders aka KOLs in the original context that share their perspectives of company updates, happenings around their industry or sometimes, around the world.
They also empower their employees with content that they have produced as part of their content strategy, enabling them to share through social media advocacy tools. LinkedIn used to have a function that enables that called “LinkedIn Elevate” that I have helped companies implement previously. They retired it in 2020 but integrated a similar function onto LinkedIn’s “My Company” tab and allows for admins of the page to recommend organic posts and curate content for other employees to share. Other social media content management platforms like Hootsuite and, SproutSocial have the same functions.
Usually, the folks who hold the golden key to social guardrails and policies for employees are marketing and communications, corporate communications or sometimes even human resource. While there is no right or wrong, I personally think all parties need to hold joint ownership of the policy and enablement of their employees in the right way.
Most companies are still way too cautious about employee advocacy or rigid on policies around what their employees can share, some going as far as wanting to clear every single post, dictate every single post or simply only allowing selected employees of certain seniority to post on their social pages. They often are also ignorant (maybe too blissfully) that not all senior level employees have either time, actual interest, interesting views or sufficient “social clout” versus some other employees who might have one or all of the above.
My personal belief is that every employee has the potential to be your next brand ambassador on social and should be encouraged, empowered and enabled in the right way to share posts on activities your company has participated in publicly, views related to their professional field and/or the industry your company is specializing in. This can be done with varying levels of review and control instead of just clamping down with a hard “no” out of fear.
If this is new to your company, you can start small with curated key messages and posts they can use, though that to me is becoming almost too infancy in nature and looking like boring corporate spiel. Classic examples are when you see employees all copying and pasting the exact same message and photos and posting on their own LinkedIn/other social accounts without even bothering to add their own one or two liners. It’s almost like robots have taken over the control of their accounts and helping to spam the social platform with the exact same thing - next!
It’s not rocket science actually to come up with your own thoughts, even if you are not as good in writing, at least it comes from your head and heart. It’s about sincerity and being authentic when it comes to content and social content.
Some guiding principles for employees and companies to consider are:
Is this sharing something that will be helpful for your network and their network to know?
Will it cause unnecessary pain, conflict or worse, tensions in race, religion, creed and culture?
Is it harmful to someone’s reputation if you share it? If so, do you have facts to back it and how is it helpful for others to know about this?
Will it inspire others to learn and benefit from the learning in a positive way?
Imagine if your parents, siblings, partner or best friend or someone you profoundly respect and care about were to read it; would it be something they would be proud or supportive of?
Think about it the next time your splurge thousands on some KOLs; look within your employee network to see if there isn’t already some who can be your true brand ambassador and KOL. Afterall, if they work for you, they should genuinely like, support and believe in what you offer as a value proposition, correct?
About the Author
Mad About Marketing Consulting
Ally for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and Fractional CMO for other C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.