If it wasn’t for Nolan’s The Odyssey (奥德赛), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (蜘蛛俠: 嶄新之日) would probably be the hottest movie release of the summer. Still, Spider-Man for an IP collaboration is a marketing opportunity worth launching 1000 ships for, and Cotti Coffee (库迪咖啡) should celebrate their landing it – except things have not gone as planned.
All began well. Cotti put to market a range of limited-edition drinks, pineapple flavoured for a summery taste. Co-branded packaging came straight out of the IP colab playbook, but this is where it went wrong.
Co-branded packaging came straight out of the IP colab playbook, but this is where it went wrong
One co-branded item – a cold-change cup that reveals a Spider-Man suit pattern when filled with an iced drink – was a sell-out hit. Stocks now need replenishing, but Cotti can’t get more to market until 19 August.
Merchandise tied to a film release has a short window of maximum value: fans want it for opening weekend, for cinema photos and the collective hype of a new title. By the time additional cups arrive, the launch moment will likely have passed.
Tom Holland and Zendaya attended a Shanghai fan event ahead of the China release
Given that Cotti had front-row seats to the launch this mishap is not ideal. Tom Holland and Zendaya attended a Shanghai fan event ahead of the China release. Cotti was there supplying film-themed drinks. They’ve secured a big spot, but for a chain with big branding ambitions this summer, they should be running a tighter ship.
The Dao view: Cotti shouldn’t be messing up their Spider-Man collaboration in a summer like this
This isn’t the kind of moment that breaks a brand, but it is a missed opportunity for a complete marketing push. Perhaps that wouldn’t even be news, but it comes in a big summer for Cotti. They’ve landed official partnerships with the World Cup, and they’ve sponsored Argentina’s national football team, but the brand’s famously rapid growth is faltering.
From March to May, Cotti opened 762 stores while closing more than 700. A top-down reassessment of their franchising system could well be in order. You can read about all that here. As for this incident, Cotti has proven they know how to secure a hot cultural moment. And admittedly, the merch looks great. They just need to be more ready when the fans come running.
