Marketing and Development Director Hartwig Spreuwer explains how the Playgo/Gardena partnership is bearing fruit for both brands

Since Hong Kong toymaker Playgo teamed with German garden implements maker Gardena to launch a line of branded toys that closely follow the adult tools, its business has blossomed.

Playgo brings to the table the many advantages of having its business headquarters in Hong Kong. Gardena shared its engineering expertise, working with Playgo in its German factory to develop the brand. Following a successful product launch in the Chinese mainland last Christmas, with a 100 per cent sell through at its first retail outlet, Playgo has now begun a global distribution.

Playgo Ltd had been in business for 25 years, making toys for international producers as well as designing products under its own label, before the Gardena partnership. Marketing and Development Director Hartwig Spreuwer said the idea was aimed at building business during the low season. "I was thinking of how to come up with a toy for kids which is educational, practical, and very high quality," Mr Spreuwer said. "Gardena is a brand very well known in Europe, Australia and Canada for its high quality, made-in-Germany gardening products. In order to meet this quality we worked together with a factory in Germany to develop our brand. They (Gardena) tested it, together with us, and finally we came up with a nice line."

Branding strategies

Stressing the level of safety in its products, the company has one key brand - Playgo – with a number of sub-categories such as Girls Only, Kool Tool, My Home Fun and Art Academy, each with its own "face" comprised of artwork, colours and setting. Its latest product My First Piano, to be launched for Christmas this year, is very much a branded product for Hong Kong, Mr Spreuwer said. "The concept was made in Hong Kong, so we developed the item."

The advantages of using Hong Kong, he continued, are the opportunities here. "The people are very open, and it is a point where many influences worldwide join together. There's a lot of input, so if you are creative and working with people exchanging ideas, making it happen, then you can create something which is workable worldwide."

Having its production base in the nearby Chinese mainland gives Playgo a pricing advantage, but also allows it to control quality. Playgo's quality standards are in constant evolution as it strives to meet international best practice, as this is "very important for the future", Mr Spreuwer said. "We have a very high standard which we want to keep. Besides the quality standard we are always focusing on play value. We want to give a real toy to the kids – one they can really use, learn something from, and play with for a long time."

Launchpad to China

	Playgo's high quality product range includes garden toys that closely resemble the adult tools made by its German partner, Gardena

Playgo identified market potential in the Chinese mainland, where consumers are prepared to pay for better quality toys. Sales Manager Frances Kwan said Hong Kong offered many advantages as a launchpad to the mainland.

"Most important is that we own our factory in China, where everything is under one roof, from concept, design, tooling, hand sample and production, to quality control and accreditation," Ms Kwan said. "We speak the same language, understand their mentality, how they work, and how the business is going." Travel is an advantage, she added, with the Hong Kong head office in close proximity to the mainland production base. "Hong Kong people are open-minded and flexible, as we try to learn more from different countries. I think this is a very good advantage," Ms Kwan said.

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