Why do certain toy fads or collectibles suddenly go viral? What makes a collectible toy/fashion accessory like Labubu explode in popularity in the first place?
Journalists have widely credited K-pop star Lisa of BLACKPINK with kicking off the Labubu trend in mid-April of 2024, when an informal photo of her happily cuddling a freshly unboxed Labubu appeared on her Instagram story. Additionally, retail industry commentators have attributed Pop Mart’s recent surge in TikTok Shop sales to partnerships with creators who promote and sell Pop Mart products — including Labubus — in their own posts and livestreams.
Although social media influencers are relatively new, media and communication scholars have long explored the interplay of media and influence. For example, communication scholars Elihu Katz and Paul Lazarsfeld’s 1955 book “Personal Influence: The Part Played by People in the Flow of Mass Communications” studied the influence of mass media, such as radio and newspapers, on ordinary people. They found that for many people, the influence of mass media came to them indirectly, through well-informed friends. Katz and Lazarsfeld called these ordinary people who kept up with current events “opinion leaders,” since they were trusted sources of information for their friends and families. The researchers called this model of influence a “two-step flow”: media exposure had a direct influence upon opinion leaders, who in turn influenced the views of others in their communities.
Globally beloved celebrities like Lisa — who has 106 million followers on Instagram — and high-profile influencers play a role today that is somewhat like that of Katz and Lazarsfeld’s opinion leaders. While most of us don’t know celebrities or influencers personally, fans often develop “parasocial relationships” with media figures, in which we may come to feel almost as if we know them — and look to them as trusted sources of inspiration and influence. The interactivity of Instagram, TikTok and other social media allows celebrities and influencers to cultivate the appearance of direct, authentic connection with followers, blurring the line between parasocial connection and personal influence.