Why Phl is the 'perfect home' for pop culture fans

Filipinos' deep affection for pop culture is one of the reasons a license-focused toy company has launched its first Southeast Asian store in Manila.

- By CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG

"The energy, creativity and loyalty of the Filipino Funko community made it clear to us that the Philippines is the perfect home for our first Funko store in Southeast Asia. We're creating a destination where fans and consumers can come together, discover new favorites and get closer to the characters and stories they love," Funko vice-president of sales for Asia-Pacific Andy Clempson remarked during the exclusive media sneak peek held recently.

"With SM Mall of Asia as the backdrop and Funtastik as our trusted distribution and franchise store partner, we're excited to deliver a world-class experience that truly celebrates Filipino fandom," he went on.

In an exclusive interview with The STAR, Clempson said that Asia remains a huge chunk of the brand's global plan to develop their market.

"When we looked at Asia, for us, the Philippines is currently our biggest market in terms of revenues, for Funko in Asia. That's the first point. And what really drives us is the expertise and the fanaticism of our fans, of our consumers that are here," he told this paper.

"So we know that they are really in tune with pop culture, with Funko products, because of the proximity, particularly with American and Western pop culture. Because of that, we know that they love Funko products. So it seemed like a perfect fit for us to tap into that."

He added that the Filipino consumers have a broad knowledge of their products.

"They really know their product, they know the value of the product, (and also) the particulars of the limited or exclusive (merch).