Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company founded in 1960, has somehow felt like home to its much-loving audiences settled worldwide. For its latest advent, Hello Kitty’s parent company officially shook hands with the Indian marketplace through a brand-new collaboration with fashion label Péro. The one-of-a-kind fantasy came to life by interweaving “the exquisite Indian craftsmanship with the playfulness of Japanese Harajuku street style,” as the deal teased. This new friendship between the encompassing Japanese brand and the Indian fashion label, branded as ‘Hello Péro’, was ultimately brought to life thanks to Sanrio’s appointment of Dream Theatre as its licensing agency in June.
Péro’s creative director, Aneeth Arora, also previously introduced the border-traversing collaboration, a cause for double celebration as the Indian fashion line completes its 15th year while Sanrio’s flagship bow-wearing character, Hello Kitty, crosses the 50th-anniversary mark. Channelling the “cottage-core kawaii” aesthetic, the Hello Kitty x Péro collection was showcased at Lakme Fashion Week’s Spring Summer ’25 show on Wednesday, October 9.
Fortunately, HindustanTimes.com scored the exclusive opportunity to sit down with Ms Silvia Figini, COO Sanrio – EMEA, India and Oceania, Mr Men – Worldwide, and Mr Kiyoshi Saito, Managing Director of Sanrio Company, Ltd., on the same day. The brief meeting saw the former take charge and answer most of my questions. However, the latter didn’t forget to consistently make a note of Sanrio’s holy grail philosophy either, which is “One World, Connecting Smiles.”
Why is Hello Kitty foraying into India now?
Ms Silivia Figini affirmed that the iconic character’s 50th anniversary wasn’t the only cause fuelling this milestone. “It’s not absolutely the only reason,” she said. “It’s one important reason because it’s a tentpole event in the life of the character. But also because it’s really a special moment in the evolution of the brand.”
The character’s collaboration with an Indian fashion brand comes at a pivotal time for its parent company, Sanrio. Global retail sales reportedly clocked a solid $3.8 billion in 2022. In 2023, the supercute world of the Japanese franchise saw a substantial 34.21% growth, touching a mammoth $5.1 billion.
Although the franchise’s Hello Kitty character has emerged as a standalone brand altogether and is deemed a symbol of bursting nostalgia for Indian audiences, it has also maintained its “extraordinary performance” globally, “thanks to different elements.” All exclusive friends/brands of Sanrio – Kuromi, My Melody, Cinnamoroll and others – not just Hello Kitty – boast a “growing awareness” in all markets. Ms Figini underlined how Hello Kitty has quintessentially been at the centre of the valuable relevance of the ‘Kawaii’ culture (which essentially relates to the quality of being cute) since the ‘70s. Its global familiarity in the modern age has, at large, boosted Japanese culture and “particularly resonated very well post-COVID” – a time when “people were looking for more value, more connection with others” after being locked in their homes for what seemed like ages.
Meanwhile, ‘Saito-san,’ as most people in the building addressed him, also illuminated, that Sanrio attempted to break into India with a major store “10 years ago.” However, “it didn’t work so much because of complexity.”
He explained, “Because of success and then, also the growth of the economy in this country, we thought maybe we should try again. That’s another reason why it took so much time for us to reconsider. We actually analysed the potential, and then decided the market will change.” Having given it another go, the managing director shared, “We believe that there is a good fit between our corporate vision and the culture here.” He especially made it a point to remind me that the brand was wholeheartedly committed to delivering smiles through product because smiles serve as a bridging gap between all kinds of differences.
Why Hello Kitty is still so relevant?
As for what distinctive values of Hello Kitty have held its fanbase across generations and genders and established the brand’s value, Ms Figini cited the character’s humane qualities like getting along and staying together and the characteristic essence of “You can never have too many friends.”
“That’s the reason why I think this is a unique moment in history and with a sight to approach a bigger market with a complexity like India.”
While Sanrio’s flagship icon may officially be entering an Indian partnership on such a grand scale for the first time, consumers in the nation are no strangers to its signature red bow-wearing identity, which has dotted even local markets for years. But why did Hello Kitty especially gain the stature of a household name at a time when people weren’t wholeheartedly familiar with its parent banner?
“I think this was a bit of the secret of Hello Kitty. Other brands have been always driven by events like movies, a TV series… So there is sort of bombarding in terms of consumers’ exposure to the brand,” Ms Figini explained.
“This was not the history of Hello Kitty. There is a story behind where she was born, the value she brought. She has never been forced to be visible. She was always there.
“It was the way that each one was able to connect with her with her in their specific way. For me, when I was very young (Hello Kitty) was someone very cute, very reliable. I could imagine her in any possible way because there was no pre-set story. That’s also why I think, she resonates very well right now because she can speak with everyone, every culture. She was born in the Japanese culture, but as a character in history, she was born in the UK. So she has different elements. She has a boyfriend. There are different stories that can create magic, and atmosphere around her, creating this natural connection.”
Ms Figini also underscored how the character’s legacy has been passed down generations as “mothers love to speak with kids, introduce the characters, but without telling a story. That is not the story. Just presenting the brand as it is.”
“This is quite unique. It also makes her able to speak with everyone from kids to adults. We are doing collaborations with high hand brands like Pero to the mass market. We are doing toys, and stationery, across targets and categories. There is no magic formula.”
“It’s the power of the brand’s DNA.”
When asked why Hello Kitty had its eyes set on Pero specifically for its first big venture, Ms Figini drew up the “special connection” between the brands owing to their “same perception of values.”
“They speak about hearts. We speak about smiles, but the goal is always to give love and a positive message to the people,” she detailed. Meanwhile, she also spotlighted how this collaboration was even more meaningful because Aneeth Arora, the creative eye behind Pero, “is a big fan of Hello Kitty, so that was helpful because she clearly was in love, and has a perfect understanding of the brand.” Having seen the collection’s preview herself, Ms Figini proudly affirmed that it represented the best of the character’s value set. Proclaiming their Indian partner as a “trendsetter,” she hoped to have a “long-lasting” professional relationship with the high-end company.
Also read | Natsume’s Book of Friends anime art director Yukihiro Shibutani passes away at 63
Delineating the values of Sanrio characters or “friends”, the COO went on: “The family is composed of more than 450 characters.” As for how well-established these characters are overseas, Ms Figini said, in Europe “the awareness is quite big. It’s not for all the 450, but at least 10 of them are very strong. And each of them has specific elements that make them unique. So they have a family – a group of friends. They have a universe that will be emphasised even more in the future.” Sanrio’s ultimate goal is to introduce this entire universe to Hello Kitty’s life. Despite the big-scale groundwork to bring these characters to life, Ms Figini noted that Hello Kitty will remain their icon. In the meantime, the brand is determined to keep things “gender neutral because there are male characters, and each of them will have specific values to bring to the table.”
As for what their brand considers paramount before signing a deal with another high-end brand, the spokesperson underscored that the first box they check off is “commonality in values.”
Although discussions on creativity are indispensable to such collaborations, she emphasised that “the value, the base, the essence has to be positive, inclusive, and supportive.”
She called attention to the company’s goal: “Connect people through smiles,” and how they hoped to achieve that end through innovative ways with each collaboration. Regardless of how “crazy, funny or new” their products may be their “first step” is to hold a hand out for friendship with “reliable” companies.
The next focus on the agenda is that they should be “market leaders” who are “really investing in the brand” so they can forge “long-lasting collaborations.”
“Sanrio is not a company that is opportunistic,” she laid out in bold. “We have our brand. We strongly believe in the brand. So we would like that someone that works with us has the same vision.”
“That’s why we have partnerships lasting many, many years, and we love also to work with innovative companies because we speak to the new generation, even kids. So we would like someone that is bringing innovation in product development.”
Eyeing sustainability with new collaboration?
It’s very easy for a long-existing icon like Hello Kitty to be synonymously associated with fast fashion production, something that may not always be sustainable. Is Sanrio approaching sustainability with Pero’s collaboration? Ms Silvia replied, “I think that Pero is already a company that in itself, has a strong vision of sustainability. At the moment, we are at the beginning of our collaboration, but definitely one could be one of the teams so we can exploit even further.
“Sustainability is not just, something related to the high-end company. This can go also to fast fashion. So we are very careful to work with companies that respect all regulations. But on top, have a vision on that. The quality products they create already reflect the sustainability element.
But it could be a good exercise to create something specifically if they will be available to do it in the future.”
Shifting the spotlight to some of their previous partnerships with H&M and Zara Group, Ms Figini began, “H&M, as an older company, is focused on sustainability. But we have also recently done a great collaboration with Primark that is a lower price. The capability of the company to create an experience is very important. We always speak about consumer experience.”
Global consumer engagement
Further illustrating how a fast-fashion retailer can break through the barriers and create something bigger, Ms Figini again picked Primark’s example: “In the five biggest stores they have in the UK, they have created a Hello Kitty cafe.”
Basically, with everything you get from a cappuccino or a brioche shaped like Hello Kitty. It’s the experience to go and enjoy the atmosphere and something like a simple Hello Kitty Cafe that is simple, cheap can really bring you a smile.” With spreading smiles as their primary goal, the Sanrio exec said that they are determined to bring alive such creative experiences in different ways all over the world. The company also intends to expand this immersive consumer experience by bringing even more of its signature dressed-up characters at retail stores to engage people and build “an emotional connection.”
She also briefly alluded to the foundation set by Sanrio founder Shintaro Tsuji, 96, and how bringing as many smiles as possible will always be at the top of their agenda.
Focus on engaging Indian audiences on a large scale
Both senior Sanrio execs firmly committed that their brand-new connection with India was not limited to fashion alone. “The plan is to go across all categories. Again, most of them are already there. Fashion is naturally also because the Hello Kitty, or Hello Kitty and Friends brand overall as a main category of apparel. But we are across everything, gifting, food, toys. Being in India will be a massive investment from the corporate side.” Sanrio is planning ahead when it comes to its Indian connect. Ms Figini disclosed that they want to change the game in the next 2 years. With an aim to create an experience for the audience here by significantly increasing brand awareness of all characters through the digital medium and more, they want to make Hello Kitty and her Friends more accessible to Indian fans. She even painted a future where people were possibly buying Hello Kitty-themed mobile phones and television sets.
Even though Hello Kitty has just officially touched down on a terrain foreign to it, Sanrio is keen on its iconic character getting in touch with different cultures and people. Ms Figini continued, “We will also have slight localisation. She will celebrate your festivity.” Although the character will stay true to its core values and origins, with her new adventure on international borders in sight, she will accordingly adapt to mingle with the local audience because the company wants the brand to resonate with them.
Down the line, India could also witness a major makeover in terms of Hello Kitty-themed cafes and other such direct experiences engaging audiences. Ms Figini admitted, “That is part of the plan. It will not be the first step, clearly, but that’s absolutely important and will be in a massive way. That’s the level of investment we are thinking about. We are working to find the right formula.” With the appropriate and palatable formula in hand, Sanrio hopes to create a comfortable space, just like the cafes talked about before, where all sorts of demographics would be happy sharing the same room under one roof.
Also read | One Piece anime on hiatus till 2025 amid classic era revival with new Dragon Ball, Bleach series
Competing against piracy
Now that Sanrio is openly venturing into a market as diverse as the Indian market, the brand admitted to knowing about bigger hurdles it needs to cross. Piracy emerged as one of the biggest challenges, considering customers often rely on local markets and cheaper alternatives that are even more easily accessible. I asked Ms Figini about their stance on the issue and how they planned to tackle it. She began, “Piracy is definitely everywhere, actually. Especially when a brand starts growing, you can even see even the piracy going up.” Nevertheless, the Sanrio exec claimed that she tends to keep a positive mindset. During their brief stay, Ms Figini and Mr Saito had direct access to Delhi’s Connaught Place, a financial and business hotspot dotted by not only high-end stores but also street markets offering any and all kinds of duplicate copies of a diverse array of products at one’s feet.
Ms Figini confessed that even with the little time they had during their Delhi visit, they took that opportunity to explore what was at their disposal. “It was good to see how many Hello Kitty products, even if fake, were there,” she said. Maintaining her positive outlook as mentioned, she went on, “That means that there are customers. So, the good connection with clients is also from that.” Although flattered by the move, she ultimately put her foot down and insisted, “That said, the company will take action. We are very focussed on protecting our trademarks, our brands. So that will be one of the key actions, and we do it in a massive way. Clearly, we will start analysing the market, have specific lawyers taking action, and protect the relationship and investment of our licenses very strongly. We manage Asia, so we have the experience of China.
We have the experience of Turkey. We have the experience of other markets that are strongly experiencing the same situation.”
She continued, “We know that it’s not a battle. It’s a war forever because they will never stop. You know, they will enter from the door, go out of the window. But that’s the market. We’ve got to protect the brand because it’s been 50 years. Also, we have to protect our partners as well because they’re making a huge investment in the brand.”
Regardless, stepping into an Indian marketplace environment helped Ms Figini understand that people knew the brand well, and its popularity wasn’t merely restricted to Hello Kitty’s presence. Her other Friends, such as Kuromi and My Melody, were included in the popular bunch.
Ms Figini further revealed that the collection is already out on the floors. In addition to that, the Hello Pero line will be available in 350 Péro outlets in 17 countries, including the U.S., France, Italy and more. “They are in many retailers already. We have approximately more than 20 licenses in action, but the scale is going to grow quickly. Now, we are in the testing phase. Here, it’s just the beginning.” Additionally, the senior execs estimated the “big peak” to be achieved by the end of 2025, expecting “exponential growth in the next few years,” taking into account how the brand already has a loyal fan following in the country.
