Consumption Paradigm Shift: From “Good Value” to “One-of-a-Kind,” IP Merchandise Meets Young Demands
“Yat Jai,” a senior practitioner in GiftOne’s Marketing Department, stated in the report that a decade of industry dedication has given the team a clear view of the changing consumer landscape. Today’s Gen Z consumers hold significantly different views; “good value, good quality, and good appearance” (平靚正) is no longer the top priority, with personalisation and uniqueness becoming core pursuits. They wish to avoid “clashing styles,” aspiring to express their identity and taste through their possessions. Furthermore, in this era of information overload, their consumption is more rational, demanding higher quality and exclusivity from corporate gift items.

IP merchandise precisely matches this demand. IP gift items featuring popular anime characters, movie protagonists, or trendy IP that resonate with young consumers have transcended mere object status to become “status symbols.” “When customers receive a company gift printed with an IP they actively follow, it feels like a signal saying, ‘I understand you.’ The influence of this emotional connection should not be underestimated,” Yat Jai stressed.

Consumption Trend Transformation: From “Material” to “Spiritual,” IP Merchandise Creates Emotional Resonance
The report further indicates that the current consumer market is undergoing a deep transformation from “material consumption” to “spiritual consumption.” Consumers no longer purchase items solely to satisfy functional needs but also seek emotional experiences and spiritual fulfilment. Taking trendy IP toys as an example, the core reason products like blind boxes and figures attract consumers to queue is the “sense of belonging to a trend” they carry—consumers are buying not just a toy but an “entry ticket” to a subculture.

IP merchandise as a corporate gift functions as a cultural symbol that can quickly spark emotional resonance within the target demographic. “Just like buying a watch: in the past, it was to tell the time; now, it’s to showcase taste and identity. The ‘you-understand-me’ feeling brought by an IP gift can instantly establish a priceless sense of identity and belonging, something traditional company gift items struggle to achieve,” added a relevant GiftOne representative.

Core Traits of Successful IP: Malleability and Scalability Are Essential
Not all IP can succeed in the market. The report specifies that successful IP must possess two key traits: Malleability and Scalability. Malleability means the IP can break through the limitations of a single medium, moving across different scenarios such as film, comics, and games, to consistently maintain freshness. Scalability refers to the IP’s potential for cross-industry development, extending from cultural and creative products to everyday items like stationery, electronics, and apparel, achieving “all-around penetration.”

“These two traits are critically important for corporate gift customisation. Only IP with the capacity to ‘transform’ and ‘replicate’ can provide us with more creative space to design IP gift items that align with market changes and exceed consumer expectations, helping businesses stand out in the competition,” the GiftOne team explained.

Industry Cases: McDonald’s and Sushiro Attract Young Audiences with IP Marketing
In the report, GiftOne cites two major examples of successful IP marketing. Global chain McDonald’s, known for deeply familiar in-house IP such as Ronald McDonald and Grimace, has recently launched co-branded toys with Pokémon, which broke age boundaries. These collaborations not only attract children but have also become collectors’ items for adult Pokémon enthusiasts; the co-branded products in Japan even triggered a buying frenzy.

In the Gift HK market, Sushiro has successfully attracted Generation Z (Post-00s) consumers through collaborations with popular IP like Oshi no Ko and Haikyu!! Social media platforms, including Instagram and Threads, are frequently filled with young users sharing their Sushiro IP gift “hauls” or documenting content like “eating Sushiro for multiple consecutive days just to collect IP merchandise,” fully confirming the powerful appeal of licensed company gift items to the younger demographic.

GiftOne: Over a Decade of Experience to Help Businesses Capitalise on the IP Merchandise Boom
To help businesses seize the IP merchandise trend, GiftOne relies on over ten years of corporate gift customisation experience to provide clients with a full-process service, from IP selection and solution design to production execution. Whether it involves developing IP gift items based on popular licensed IP or creating exclusive IP products for a corporation, the team combines market research with user needs to ensure the merchandise possesses both trendy attributes and brand value, thereby assisting businesses in precisely reaching the young consumer group.

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