Over the Past 10 Years, Canifa’s Purchase of Character Image Copyrights Has Continuously Grown
“At the VMCC Marcom Talk #8 conference with the theme ‘Character Licensing & Character Marketing- Enhancing Connections, Opening Up New Revenue Streams’ on April 23, Vietnam Economic Times/VnEconomy had a discussion with Ms. Doan Thi Bich Ngoc, CEO of the Canifa brand, about the story of exploiting copyrighted animated character images in business and the potential and challenges of the copyright market.”
CANIFA HAS EXPLOITED CHARACTER COPYRIGHTS FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS
“At today’s event, with the theme ‘Creating and Exploiting Character Image Copyrights in Business’, could you please tell us how Canifa is currently exploiting and creating character images in its business and apparel designs?
Canifa has been exploiting character copyrights for more than 10 years, starting from around 2013-2014. Canifa’s customer base is diverse, including both adults and children. From the very beginning, Canifa has wanted to find characters that could help its customers, especially children, express themselves through images they love.
Canifa has worked with partners in which markets primarily to obtain copyright deals for these characters?
We started out with copyright deals for characters from Japan, such as Hello Kitty, and then the US, such as Walt Disney.
In the process of developing character creation, what opportunities and major challenges has Canifa encountered in this arena in Vietnam?
Actually, I never see anything as a challenge. Because if there are challenges, there will also be many opportunities. When we started working on copyrights, there were many discussions, both internally and externally, about fake and counterfeit goods. But I think that’s not something that brands can do anything about; it’s the responsibility of the copyright holders and relevant authorities, as well as the consumers.
Due to the brand’s mass appeal, we decided that when we sold products with copyrighted character images, the price would not be too different from other products in the market. If customers are responsible and love the product, they will choose products with copyrights. The proof is that over the past 10 years, Canifa’s copyright purchases have steadily increased.
It could be said that Canifa is one of the pioneers in this arena, having been in the game for over 10 years, with many products sold and well-received by the public. So has Canifa encountered any difficulties in negotiating with partners? Being a partner from Vietnam, how have you been able to negotiate with major partners from around the world?
Our inherent nature is that of a developing country, with a very young and large population, so companies really need partners like Canifa. Nothing worth doing is without difficulty. In the early days, we didn’t understand the process or how to implement it. But I think those are inevitable steps. Of course, we have gradually matured through those negotiations, because they are large organizations with decades of experience, and they have ways to maximize business performance.
Compared to product lines that feature character images and other regular products, have you noticed a difference in sales revenue and customer feedback?
When you work with copyrights, these things have a good viral marketing effect, so we inherit a lot of value from the copyright holders. As I mentioned, over the past 10 years, Canifa’s copyright development has continued to grow, and currently all of the business metrics for products with copyrighted character images are very good.
Does using copyrighted characters increase the cost of products substantially?
I think it does, but it’s worth it because we inherit a process for developing animated character products as well as the guidance and support of our partners, so the cost is just a small part of it. Especially for Canifa, the product quantity is large, so the cost is not an issue for consumers. We are also aware that if the price is too high, it will definitely be a barrier for consumers.
Do you have any figures that can help quantify how using character copyrights on fashion products has contributed to revenue?
Canifa has many business metrics, with 5 to 7 key indicators, but basically they fall into two main categories: brand affinity and business performance, such as revenue and profit. Brand affinity is measured through product launches, activations, etc., which help customers love and trust the brand more. Each transaction that a customer makes with the brand is one of the most concrete figures.
WHY CANIFA MUST PURCHASE COPYRIGHTS, BECAUSE CANIFA IS VERY POPULAR AND EMBRACES QUALITY AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
What are your views on the trends in using character images in business and marketing in the Vietnamese market this year and over the next 2-3 years?
It will definitely continue to grow. But as I mentioned, not many companies are aware of copyright purchases, so I also hope that through events like this, we can share our story so that brands and business owners can be more confident in their path to brand development and business operations through this additional aspect of copyright. Because this is a very developed industry around the world.
If you were to assess which industry uses character images the most, which industry would you say?
Actually, it’s a bit difficult to say because I’m in the fashion industry, specifically apparel. But if you observe, the most common ones fall into two main groups: first, fashion, of course, because there’s a lot of room to showcase character images, and second, toys and home goods, shoes, and bags.
As an experienced business owner in this field, what advice would you give to businesses looking to develop products and images through characters?
I think that before doing anything, including purchasing copyrights, businesses must first be clear on why they are purchasing copyrights. Why does Canifa purchase copyrights? Because Canifa is very popular and embraces quality and international standards, with an awareness of copyrights. Actually, this is a creative industry, and if you work in the creative industry, it’s obvious that you should choose copyrights.
The issue of copyright infringement is still very rampant today. What are your thoughts on this issue?
I think that every business has its own business philosophy. We operate based on real value, so we will strive to do the best job we can. And we also have a responsibility to communicate with consumers adequately to raise awareness about copyright and intellectual property issues.
