How Consumers Respond to Cute Products

Cute products are everywhere, and cuteness is big money. For example, Hello Kitty, a global icon for 40 years now, reaps $5 billion annually in profi ts for her mother-company, Sanrio (Kovarovic, 2011). Another giant company that has mastered the art of capitalizing cuteness, and indeed for many people is synonymous with the concept, is Disney-currently valued at over $23 billion (Forbes, 2013). Countless companies, brands, and their attendant knock-offs rely on cuteness to allure customers. Their reach spans product categories from stuffed toys, cartoons, clothes, household appliance, fast food, and automobiles, to even airlines (Barrett, 2010). The ubiquity and commercial success of corporate behemoths such as Sanrio and Disney proves that cuteness can be a critical element in marketing.