How Funko and Hawke Media Scaled Collectibles Into Culture

In pop culture, timing is everything. A collectible can go from niche novelty to cultural phenomenon overnight — but only if the right strategy is in place to amplify it. Funko has long been a household name for fans, but the last four years mark a transformation in how the brand goes to market. Together with Hawke Media, Funko has evolved from tactical channel optimizations into a global marketing powerhouse, shifting the way fans discover, shop, and connect with their favorite characters.

This is the story of how Funko scaled its collectibles into culture, powered by an agile, performance-driven partnership with Hawke.

Chapter One: Building the Foundation on Amazon (2020–2021)

When Hawke Media first partnered with Funko in early 2020, the brand was at an inflection point. Demand was massive, but the buying journey was fragmented across retailers, Amazon, and Funko’s own direct channels. Amazon in particular was a battlefield: endless competitors, algorithm shifts, and rapidly changing search trends.

Hawke’s Amazon Services team immediately went to work on the fundamentals. SEO-enhanced product copy, A/B tested creative, and smarter variation tracking laid the groundwork for growth. By spring 2021, weekly reports showed clear momentum:

• 82% revenue lift (April 2021) after optimized variations and campaigns.

• DC Comics titles surged +195% revenue (April 2021).

• Battleworld doubled weekly sales, hitting a 124% increase (April 2021).

• Even when inventory challenges held back certain Funkoverse SKUs, Best Seller Rank improved from 60,000 to 10,000 (March 2021).

These early wins — concentrated between March and June 2021 — weren’t just about revenue. They set the collaborative rhythm: fast, data-led, experimental. Each iteration built confidence in the model, and each win brought bigger opportunities.

 

Chapter Two: Q4 Momentum and the Paid Media Pivot (2023)

If Amazon was the proving ground, Q4 2023 was the breakout. The holiday season is always critical in retail, but for Funko, this quarter became the catalyst for an entirely new way of operating.

Facing the dual challenge of cutting through the noise of holiday ad spend and launching new product lines like Rewind and Bitty Pop, Funko needed more than incremental wins. Apple’s iOS 14.5 update had reshaped attribution, and visibility across platforms was cloudier than ever. The answer? A bold pivot into full-scale paid media.

During October–December 2023, Hawke rolled out a multi-channel paid strategy across Meta, TikTok, Google, and Bing. Creative leaned heavily on high-engagement video, TikTok-native formats, and experimental PMax campaigns on Google. Most importantly, budgets were fluid — funds were reallocated in real-time based on performance.

The outcome was a watershed moment:

• 638% ROAS on Meta campaigns (Q4 2023).

• TikTok conversions rose 244% (Q4 2023), with revenue up 336% YoY.

• Dynamic retargeting returned a staggering 19x ROAS (November–December 2023 sales period).

• Google Performance Max (P-Max) campaigns extended reach and visibility beyond expectations.

The impact went beyond numbers. Funko leadership embraced paid media as a core growth driver, restructuring priorities to lean into digital spend. What began as a Q4 push became a company-wide initiative, marking a permanent shift in how Funko approached marketing.

 

Chapter Three: Personalization at Scale With Pop Yourself (2022–2024)

While paid media cemented Funko’s momentum, the launch of Pop Yourself redefined what the brand could be. By letting fans create personalized Pop! figures in their own likeness, Funko tapped into one of the most powerful consumer trends of the decade: personalization.

Launching a customizable product line in late 2022 was not without challenges. Standardized collectibles dominate the category, and personalization required both operational agility and fresh marketing strategies. Hawke’s role was to turn personalization into mass adoption.

Together, we built a playbook centered on engagement and discovery:

• Targeted Google, Meta, and TikTok campaigns spotlighting customization as the core value.

• Video-first storytelling, with user-generated content fueling credibility and virality.

• Strategic pivots based on real-time data, including expanded PMax efforts.

• A 70/20/10 budget framework (Q1 2024): 70% proven channels, 20% tests, 10% moonshots like CTV and TikTok Shop.

The results cemented Pop Yourself as Funko’s top business unit by 2023–2024:

• Over 10x ROAS across platforms.

• 370% increase in conversions YoY (2023 vs. 2022).

• 737% revenue surge YoY (2023 vs. 2022).

• META ads alone delivered a 768% lift in conversions (2023).

What began as a product launch became Funko’s flagship. Pop Yourself not only captured personalization but showed how agile marketing can build entirely new revenue streams.

 

Chapter Four: Riding the Wave of Culture (2023–2024)

If there’s one thing Funko understands, it’s cultural timing. The brand has always been known for pop culture tie-ins, but with Hawke, that agility reached new heights.

When Dunkin’ Pops dropped in 2023, Hawke moved quickly to amplify the launch with precision targeting and cultural hooks. When the Travis Kelce Pop tied to the Super Bowl (February 2024) went viral, we doubled down with tailored creative and paid pushes.

This cultural agility underscored a larger truth: Funko’s success wasn’t just about products, but about relevance. Hawke’s rapid response frameworks ensured Funko could capitalize on emerging moments, reinforcing its place in the cultural zeitgeist.

 

The Takeaway: Scaling Beyond Collectibles

From Amazon fundamentals in 2020–2021 to holiday momentum in Q4 2023, from personalization at scale through Pop Yourself’s 2022–2024 rise to cultural moment agility, Funko’s journey with Hawke Media is a masterclass in evolving with the market.

The numbers are staggering, but the real story is transformation. Funko didn’t just grow — it rewrote its playbook, proving that even established brands can adapt, pivot, and win in the most competitive retail environments.

For brands navigating the same pressures — fragmented buying journeys, rising ad costs, shifting consumer expectations — the Funko partnership is proof of what’s possible when you blend agility with strategy.

Because in today’s world, you don’t just sell products. You sell moments. And with the right partner, those moments scale into culture.