Kitty Backlash

As a fellow Singaporean, I can clearly understand how many of my countrymen were feeling this week. Shocked, frustrated and infuriated. Many have made use of the Internet to vent their anger and show their displeasure. I bet KFC and Burger King's revenues were higher than average this week due to an expected backlash.

Nope, I wasn't referring to the internet blackout where bloggers in Singapore participated in to protest against the new licensing regime by the Media Development Authority. Something even more important happened this week. History has repeated itself, the McDonald's Hello Kitty toys have ran out of stock.

The promotion, which started less than ten days ago, had given uncle Ronald McDonald and his staff a rude shock due to Singapore's ridiculously high demand for that Japanese cat without a mouth. Too bad we are unable to ask Hello Kitty for her thoughts on being the last remaining Japanese idol amid the Korean wave.

Take a look at McDonald's Facebook page and you will realize that it has become somewhat of a marketplace. Buyers, sellers and some desperate fans post comments to buy and sell and beg the fast food giant to relaunch the plush toys respectively. The page's administrators must have had a hard time browsing through and deleting comments.

If I were the head of finger lickin' good or any other fast food chain, this would be an awesome opportunity to rub salt into my rival's wound by launching my own range of plush toys (with a much higher supply) and use sarcastic slogans. Something like "We exceed your expectations" or "No Kitty? Never mind, how 'bout a XX toy instead?".

I mean there's nothing wrong shooting imaginary arrows and bullets at your competitors right? Look at what political parties PAP and WP, telcos Singtel and Starhub, plus bloggers cyber catfight veterans Xiaxue and Dawn Yang, have been doing to one another over the years.

I firmly believe that McDonald's has to compensate the fans who failed to get a Hello Kitty. We can get the most hardcore ones to paint themselves white and seal their mouths for as long as possible. An "expressionless contest" can be held to see who can mimic the ultimate Hello Kitty poker face.

It is time for McDonald's to rethink its plush toys promotions in order to meet demand and prevent itself from being the receiving end of a brutal attack from other fast food chain's marketing campaigns.

P.S. I am one of the desperate ones. But I ain't gonna beg.