INTERVIEW Vincent Chan, Country Manager France, IMOU

by Liam McSherry, Monday 6 January 2020

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Channel EMEA [CE] What do you want to achieve at DISTREE EMEA 2020? What are your key goals for the event? Will you make any specific company announcements at the event?

Vincent Chan [VC] Dahua Technology’s main objective is to extend our IMOU brand coverage in key markets across the EMEA region. We would like to meet dedicated tier 1 or 2 distributors that specialise in CE and DIY channels.

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[CE What products/solutions will you be showcasing at DISTREE EMEA 2020? What do you want distributors to know about your portfolio?

[VC] We will showcase our consumer level home security and video surveillance solutions. For distributors, it’s important to know that Dahua Technology is already a tier 1 manufacturer in the CCTV industry. We offer indoor and outdoor security cameras, plus alarm systems and doorbell products. The price ranges from entry level to premium to satisfy different kind of customers.

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[CE Describe how your channel business has developed in the past 12 months? What trends have you seen and what have been the highlights for your business?

[VC] IMOU is a new brand so we are at the very early stages of our channel development. We’ve had great success at Dahua with our B2B business so we are looking forward to the year ahead and forging new channel partnerships to grow our EMEA consumer business.

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[CE Which geographic areas and/or channels represent the greatest opportunity for growth for your company in EMEA and globally?

[VC] In Europe, we see real potential in North and Eastern Europe with particular focus on Poland. We’re also seeing great opportunities in India, Thailand and Vietnam.

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[CE Why should distributors and retailers focus on your products? What makes your channel proposition better than competitors in the market? 

[VC] This is a good question and our approach is a simple one – we develop quality products and ensure that our channel partners have everything they need to achieve business success. We understand the importance of supporting our customers and will invest accordingly.

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[CE Do you have a structured channel programme? Do you offer a strong margin proposition to your partners? Please explain this area of your business. 

[VC] We have robust retail and distribution channel programmes in place as well as policies to support our overall GTM strategies. Regarding our margin proposition, I won’t say too much because we have to think about the price competitiveness on the market. But it’s definitely within distributor& retailers’ basic margin requirement. The most important thing is we are investing the extra margins into marketing in advance. This ensures overall success which is more important than margin itself. After all, there will be no margin achieved if the products are not selling out.

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[CE What sort of support do you offer distributors in terms of marketing, promotions and channel development activities?

[VC] We have multiple marketing activities, for instance, scheduled in-store/channel promotions while channel margin levels still guaranteed. Channel advertising and marketing campaigns, seasonal & partner promotional programmes. POSM and free branded giveaways plus a ready supply of printed materials.

In addition, Dahua Tecnology has additional resources available to support corporate marketing activities such as PR, KOL program and SEO to drive traffic to our channel partners.

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[CE How quickly is your business growing in the EMEA region? What market trends have you identified that are impacting your business segment?

[VC] Once we have more distribution partners in place, we anticipate accelerated growth in the EMEA market. Watch this space!

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[CE Is your company channel friendly? How would you describe your overall go-to-market approach in the EMEA market? What are your overall channel goals and aims for 2020 in EMEA?

[VC] Absolutely, our target is to have channel coverage across major Europe’s main countries. Finding a right distributor is the first step, then we will work more closely with select retail partners, supporting them with the right strategy and related marketing activities. This year, our objective is to have a good presence in major retailers and e-tailers in Europe’s largest markets.

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[CE What else should distributors attending DISTREE EMEA 2020 know about your company and your products and/or solutions?

[VC] IMOU is the consumer IoT brand launched by Dahua Technology, a tech giant in the CCTV and surveillance industry. Dahua Technology recorded turnover in 2018 was 3.45 billion USD. The Group has 16,000 employees worldwide with 200 offices in China alone, and 54 branches globally. In Europe, Dahua Technology has offices in all major countries, 74 RMA sites and 1 distribution hub located in Hungary. With the full resource of Dahua Technology behind it, IMOU is on course to be a great success and most complete consumer IoT solution brand in the EMEA market.