(Chinese Version)

Editor’ Note:

The serial stickers of Chibi Maruko-Chan are one of the most popular and widely-used stickers on WeChat. Originating from a classic anime character with constant and solid IP value, Chibi Maruko-Chan again unleashes its commercial potential in social-networking scenarios, which offers a very important case study for us. Below is the analysis from Liu Huafang with TMTpost, edited by TMTpost:

What we carry in heart for a lifetime, in many cases, is neither a big name nor wealth or honor, but the pure memory from our childhood, which reminds us of the path we've come along, and the original intention that has been driving us ahead even when faced with difficulties and obstacles.

Chibi Maruko-Chan is stubborn, headstrong, optimistic and brave. Since the globally recognized anime series started airing 25 years ago, she has been a constant companion as we grow up. From April 29th to June 2nd, the official exhibition of Chibi Maruko-Chan, its first time in China, is held in Shanghai currently, which is also the largest one across Asia. It is time that Chinese fans go and celebrate the birthday for Chibi Maruko-Chan.

With the introduction of WeChat stickers, the 25th anniversary exhibition of Chibi Maruko-Chan has some wow factors : you can win special stickers as souvenirs, iBeacon or fun coupons by simply shaking your mobile phone. These creative games that can be played face to face have brought a sense of intimacy for Chibi Maruko-Chan and a fresh air of mobile social interaction into an animation and culture exhibition.

Small stickers thrive in social-networking scenarios

Although the anime series of Chibi Maruko-Chan has been playing in China for 25 years, it remains extremely popular among young audience, which can be attributed to the continuous innovation in its content and the prevailing WeChat stickers lately. Since nowadays we have little time watching anime and cartoons outside of work and social activities, WeChat stickers emerge as an emotional bond to connect each other's life, appearing vivid in billions of texts sent by WeChat users every day.

Small as it is, WeChat stickers are extracted from many creative anime and cartoons. As one of the most popular stickers in WeChat, the Chibi Maruko-Chan series has become an important symbol to express our emotions in the mobile social era as part of our virtual lives.

WeChat stickers serve a special part in the ecosystem of WeChat. The creators of these creative stickers get paid by WeChat, and therefore their works are available to millions of users for free. WeChat stickers are viewed as an important approach to improve the user experience, but also a key in building an ecosystem of social-networking stickers on its own.

The WeChat interactive games have received warm welcomes in the 25th anniversary exhibition of Chibi Maruko-Chan as a catalyst to encourage visitor's participation, which also shows WeChat' ability to connect its online users with offline activities as WeChat stickers manage to link its fans in a face-to-face way.

For many of us, WeChat has become an irreplaceable part of our lives. As each set of WeChat stickers is used by different users with different preferences, we are now living in an age where virtual stickers are transmitted to express our true emotions. The ability to connect its online users with offline activities is at the core of WeChat's ":Connecting Everything" concept. As demonstrated in the vivid case of Chibi Maruko-Chan, WeChat is now a better solution to connect users and increase participation in a more interactive and happy way.

Offline Interaction can be fun, building emotional bond across time and space

In the past, an animation and culture exhibition was only able to attract quite an amount of visitors without building a deeper bond with them, making the traditional on-site marketing a less reliable way to retain and expand its fan base.

WeChat stickers enable a more creative and eye-catching way of interaction in the 25th anniversary exhibition of Chibi Maruko-Chan. With a combination of the innovative WeChat feature and the popular character itself, a new interaction model is built as a more intimate way to connect visitors with exhibitors in the O2O era.

WeChat is introducing innovative features like code-swiping, iBeacon, shaking gestures, fun coupons into the face-to-face interaction. For example, if you receive the latest set of Chibi Maruko-Chan by shaking your phone, you are encouraged to use them in the interaction with the official accounts on WeChat, and you can even win a limited edition of Chibi Maruko-Chan souvenirs as a gift. Since the visitors are also big fans of Chibi Maruko-Chan, the interactive game with a special gift is warmly welcomed – Though the gifts are limited, the passion and love for Chibi Maruko-Chan are unlimited and pure.

The face-to-face interaction is more than just giving out gifts and filling out questionnaires, but to build a cultural bond between visitors, who are gathering together out of a shared passion, and also exhibitors. WeChat stickers proved to be a reliable solution for the animation and culture industry, as an emotional connection can be built among the brand, online users and offline activities with the introduction of an outstanding product and a creative concept.

In the era of Marketing 3.0, we are more aware of the cultural value embraced in the animation and culture industry. Emotional bond, deep interaction, personal involvements are all the gifts granted by WeChat to everybody in the mobile Internet era.

IP can unleash its true value in social scenarios

Born in the mobile social scenarios, WeChat stickers are probably the most active product in the world with a naturally high exposure. The interactive features like code-swiping, iBeacon, shaking gesture, fun coupons enable a true connection between the online users and the offline activities. A complete interactive solution including increasing brand exposure, building emotional bond and expanding social fanbase is provided to the animation and culture industry. Small as it is, WeChat stickers can be a big platform for creativity to boom.

The animation and culture industry has a rich resource of IP, which can be further utilized in the social scenarios with the help of WeChat. Different interaction models can be adopted in different social scenarios, as unexpected creativity could be inspired in the process; at the same time, the creative business can go even deeper to establish a truly sustainable brand, shifting from a simple form of entertainment to an active community with solid fan base.

We can see that the mystery of WeChat stickers lies in the possibility it provides to the animation, culture and creative industries as an entry point towards a higher level of social engagement, which is, in the mobile Internet era, a better approach to expand brand power rapidly and establish a more lively social community.

As for start-ups, only when a powerful brand and an active community are built can an IP unlock its ultimate commercial value. It will be easier to create contents with more depth or build products based on fans' passion; in the process an IP see its true commercial value.

[The article is published and edited with authorization from the author @Liu Huafang , please note reference and hyperlink when reproduce.]

Translated by Chen Bin (Senior translator at ECHO)，working for TMTpost