14 August 2023

Under the Radar: POP MART's focus on Intellectual Property (IP); Navigating relationships with designers; Working with Warner Bros, Disney, World of WarCraft to produce co-branded IPs; If POP MARTs retail expansion plans contradict with its diversification away from toy manufacturing

It is all about art toys and figurines for today. Founded in 2010, our guest POP MART is a culture and entertainment company.

The firm creates art toys and collectible pieces sold through its network of retail stores or vending machines.

POP MART made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2020 with a market capitalisation of US$12.5 billion at the end of its first trading day.

Aside from manufacturing and selling toys, the firm also puts a focus on developing artists that provide intellectual property that can be made into toys, figurines or other products.

To this end, the company works with renowned international designers such as Kenny Wong for its iconic character called Molly. If you are a collector, you would probably know of Molly as a little girl with emerald eyes and pouting lips, or simply one of the firm’s best selling characters.

Beyond working with artists, POP MART also collaborated with global brands such as Disney, Universal Studios and Sanrio to come up with co-branded products.

Question is – how does the firm navigate its relationship with designers and corporates given that they are considered as the lifeblood of the company?

The company is on the charm offensive to expand internationally by opening retail stores around the world, but it is also diversifying away from toy manufacturing at the same time.

To what extent do these moves contradict each other? And what is POP MART’s grand plan for the future?

On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Kevin Zhang, Head of Strategic Partnership, POP MART.

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