International Business
Think Globally, Act Locally
Pokémon today is known and loved by people the whole world over. To enable maximum enjoyment for fans in markets everywhere, The Pokémon Corporation and its Group affiliates develop and produce content tailored to each specific region. Based on our corporate commitment to “Think Globally, Act Locally,” through the years we have steadily created new opportunities for enthusiasts across the globe to encounter Pokémon. And in the years ahead, with equal passion and curiosity we will continue to provide entertainment and services that will deliver joy and surprise to ever more people everywhere.
Our Business
A steady flow of ideas to make Pokémon loved around the world
Pokémon’s first marketing outside Japan was in the United States. In those early days, we were unsure whether Americans would embrace cute little characters like Pokémon. We also worried they might be put off by a role-playing game that required a large amount of preliminary reading. Ultimately, we came up with a plan to introduce American audiences to Pokémon first through the format of a televised anime. In Japan, the game had come first, followed by the card game, and then the TV anime. Our plan brought success, for in very little time Americans came to embrace and love the visually adorable Pokémon, and the anime’s story as well, resulting in a huge surge in popularity. Fans of Pokémon showed equal excitement and enthusiasm when we next introduced the video game, and then the card game. After this success in the U.S., we proceeded to take Pokémon to Europe, Latin America, Oceania and Asia, resulting in phenomenal popularity among ever more fans.
Actively bringing Pokémon culture to an Asian powerhouse
Within The Pokémon Corporation’s Asian area of operations, India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, stands out as a huge and promising market. Compared to East and Southeast Asia, though, expanding into India poses greater challenges from a Japanese perspective due not only to geographical distance but, more importantly, to more distinct differences in languages, culture, lifestyles, and even ways of doing business. To overcome these challenges and expand deeply into India’s market, we created a special marketing team, tied up with a local company, and launched a finely tuned promotional campaign. Simultaneously we began developing localized Pokémon names, in preparation for the release of “Pokémon GO” in Hindi, one of India’s core languages. Until now, local viewers of the TV anime were exposed to Pokémon through their English names. Now, using names in Hindi, local fans can become more intuitively familiar with Pokémon. In 2024, The Pokémon Corporation became an official partner of the Mumbai Indians, one of India’s winningest cricket teams. Cricket is the country’s most popular sport, and now the games played by the Mumbai Indians provide an exciting place where local fans can encounter Pokémon. Our commitment to the Indian market today is still in its early stages, but we will keep expanding and deepening our involvement in India, to make Pokémon culture embraced and loved long into the future.
Instilling interest in art through the magical appeal of Pokémon
For a very special occasion, Pikachu was seen wearing a grey felt hat just like the one worn by Vincent van Gogh in the artist’s famous self-portrait. The occasion was the 50th Anniversary of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and The Pokémon Corporation oversaw the creation of the Pikachu version of this painting, along with five other paintings featuring Pokémon, as part of an official collaboration planned by The Pokémon Corporation for the special exhibition “Pokémon at the Van Gogh Museum.” Linking the past with the present through Pokémon-themed paintings simulating master works by van Gogh, the show attracted huge numbers of Pokémon fans of all ages. A whole program of activities was offered, including a workshop where visitors could learn how to draw Pikachu. Online learning material also described how van Gogh had admired and been inspired by Japan and Japanese art. For children especially, the participation of Pokémon provided an enjoyable opportunity to learn about art.
Pokémon is a beloved participant in an iconic American tradition
In the U.S., the fourth Thursday of November each year is Thanksgiving, a special holiday when, by tradition, family and friends gather together to give thanks for that year’s harvest. Since 2000, The Pokémon Corporation has taken part in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a hugely anticipated event sponsored by one of New York City’s leading department stores. The parade, which was first held in 1924, features giant helium balloons, colorful floats, marching bands and captivating dance performances that gradually thread their way through the streets of Manhattan in a shimmeringly eye-catching spectacle. Every year tremendous excitement is generated by the participation of Pokémon like Pikachu and Eevee riding atop a Poké Ball-inspired sled – a now familiar highlight eagerly awaited by fans along the parade route as well as viewers at home watching in real time. The arrival of America’s holiday season is the perfect time for Pokémon and Pokémon fans to share in the joy and revelry.