MEDIALINK GROUP: Obtained Chiikawa's authorization for all of Southeast Asia and is entering overseas markets with its own IP
MEDIALINK GROUP has obtained the Southeast Asia authorization for Chiikawa and launched the world's first movie IP hot air balloon. Chairperson Zhao Xiaoyan stated that the box office target for "Theatrical Version Chiikawa" in Hong Kong is HKD 30 million. The group is expanding into the Thai, Korean, and Indian markets, and the self-created IP "Comic Con" event is progressing smoothly. The focus of the second five-year plan is to deepen the IP ecosystem and prepare for a new large-scale IP project
According to a report from Economic Information Agency on the 24th, Zhao Xiaoyan, Chairman and CEO of MEDIALINK GROUP (02230), stated at a press conference during the Hong Kong Animation Festival that the box office target for their animated film "Theatrical Version Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island" in Hong Kong is set at HKD 30 million, aiming to match the box office of "Slam Dunk," which exceeded HKD 43 million. Last year, the group's animated films ranked second in the overall Japanese animation box office, only behind "Doraemon."
Zhao Xiaoyan mentioned that the group has obtained the rights for Chiikawa across Southeast Asia and has launched the world's first Chiikawa hot air balloon over 30 meters high, made from the movie IP, in Taiwan. Additionally, the group's first large-scale event outside of Hong Kong will be held in Thailand, where she has previously visited to understand the local culture, hoping to integrate the comic exhibition with local IP. Furthermore, markets in South Korea and India are also in the planning stages. Currently, the group has over 500 IPs.
When asked about the performance of the Chiikawa pop-up store at Langham Place, Zhao Xiaoyan indicated that the pop-up store experienced the highest foot traffic period of the year at Langham Place, operating on a quota system, and that foot traffic would be even higher without quota restrictions. She further stated that all sales targets have been met.
Zhao Xiaoyan pointed out that the focus of the group's second five-year plan is to deepen the IP ecosystem. The group's self-created city IP "CON-CON" had approximately 30,000 attendees at its first event and will continue with a second event at the end of September. She revealed that the group is preparing a large-scale IP project that has not yet been launched globally, excluding mainland China.
She also mentioned that the group has established offices in Shanghai and Beijing, and the licensing business in mainland China is operating normally. (ac)
