Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan – Director of Bobi Craft: Connecting for Breakthroughs

In addition to its own collections, Bobi boldly collaborates to acquire the copyright licence of cartoon characters to produce and exclusively sell as children’s toys. This approach has placed Vietnamese artisanal crafts into the premium distribution system of international brands.

* 2023 was a challenging year for both the wood processing and handicraft industries. However, Bobi Craft’s business results seem to be remarkably positive?

– Our orders increased rapidly from 2022 and doubled in 2023. Perhaps, it’s because the small and relatively affordable toys that Bobi brings to the market are not included in the purchase list that consumers have to cut back on, such as furniture.

Due to its handmade nature, we supply approximately 40,000 products per month, serving 30% of the domestic market and exporting the remaining 70%. Of this, the export ratio to Europe, a region heavily affected by inflation in the past year, accounts for 75%. The remaining portion serves the U.S. market.

* What makes this difference?

– I believe that the demand for spiritual elevation is one of the important factors that have led to increased consumption of Bobi’s products over the past time.

Bobi craft designs, manufactures, and distributes handmade crochet teddy bears. the products are made from natural organic cotton fibre, safe for health and environmentally friendly. We prioritise quality and safety for children, so the entire production process is meticulously organised. All of our products are rigorously tested for material composition and impact resistance, meeting the EN71 standard – special safety requirements for children’s toys sold in Europe, the world’s most demanding market.

In addition to the lifetime warranty policy, bobi’s crocheted bears have their own lives, names, families, and backstories… Moreover, the owners of these toys also receive accompanying comic books for children to better understand the characters, allowing them to draw and imagine characters according to their imagination.

After toys, Bobi is also developing follow-up products based on children’s age needs such as clothing, shoes… We invest heavily in design development. Currently, Bobi has over 1,000 toy models being sold in the market. In addition to our own collections, we also negotiate to purchase the copyright licence to famous world cartoon characters such as Doraemon, M iffy rabbit… to use their images, designs, and brands…

* Is the investment cost effective?

– Investing in design and brand rights for characters requires significant investment in order to gain global recognition. TO exploit the image and brand of a Walt Disney character, companies may have to pay tens of thousands of usD. compliance with design copyrights is a worthy investment, greatly supporting Bobi’s access to the global market.

thanks to such design, upon entering the European market, Bobi’s products are distributed across a network of famous museums. recently, during the economic downturn, people still have a need to experience, explore, and enjoy spiritual values in cultural, historical, and artistic spaces…

Especially, thanks to the copyright of Miffy rabbit design, Bobi’s products officially appear in the premium fashion brand Mulberry’s system. Of course, design copyright is only an additional value. the foundation is still high-quality products, friendliness and especially being able to meet the criteria of green production and sustainable development as required by consumers.

* How is Bobi Craft preparing to meet these new requirements?

– Since its inception, green and sustainability have been the top criteria in our operations, from production methods, selection of eco-friendly materials, recyclability, labour care policies, job creation for disadvantaged groups… These criteria guide our designs, helping Bobi be honoured at international sustainable design awards.

Being “green” from the beginning, so when there are new standards, we don’t waste time converting but only strive to research to further improve sustainability. If understood correctly, sustainable development standards not only create pressure on companies but also create the conditions for them to optimise efficiency, enhance competitiveness. The higher the sustainability level, the more advantages companies will gain.

* What are Bobi’s plans for 2024?

– Currently, Bobi has 9 manufacturing workshops located in various provinces and cities, and an expansive satellite labour system, but still cannot meet all orders. We will expand and invest in additional workshops to enhance production capacity.

At the same time, Bobi also expands the ecosystem of children’s products to serve the international market. For the domestic market, we continue to closely collaborate with distribution units such as mother and baby stores, and network stores at airports, hotels, and restaurants…

* What is the secret for Bobi to reach international customers?

– We invest heavily in commercial promotion activities, participate in exhibitions at international trade fairs. We have official representative offices and businesses  in potential markets like the UK, Europe… to directly access and serve the customer needs.

Marketing and promotion activities are also organised systematically. Perhaps, by harmonising all these values, combined with the enthusiasm of the young, dynamic team… we can build our trust with customers.

* Thank you!

By Huynh Quan