Successful Case | How did Hibobi, an independent mother and baby site, seize the billion-dollar market in the Middle East?

Hibobi seized billion-dollar market in the Middle East as an independent mother and baby site

When we talk about the overseas mother and baby market, many people may first think of PatPat. However, in recent years, another Chinese brand that goes overseas, Hibobi, has achieved remarkable results in the Middle East market. It is reported that its annual revenue has stabilized at $50 million.

Although it is not as well-known as PatPat, Hibobi’s exploration and success in the Middle East market is definitely worth paying attention to.

In this article, Shopkeeper will analyze how the mother and baby brand Hibobi rises in the Middle East market from the perspective of the 4P marketing theory.

About Hibobi

Hibobi, founded in 2019, is a cross-border e-commerce company specializing in mother and baby products, currently having independent brand websites and mobile apps. Its independent website strategy has achieved remarkable results in the Middle East market, making Hibobi quickly become the leading brand in the mother and baby industry in the region. It has completed Pre-A round of financing with a financing amount of several million US dollars.

Hibobi’s team brings together professionals with rich experience in the mother and baby industry, with members from globally renowned internet companies such as Alibaba, JD.com, and HuiLiang Technology. In addition, many employees on the team have relevant experience in the Middle East market. For example, Hibobi’s BD director previously worked at Jollychic, and the UAE regional manager had payment business experience in the Middle East.

It is for this reason that Hibobi chose the Middle East market as the brand’s first deployment site.

What is the 4P Theory?

The 4P theory is a classic theory in marketing, where 4P represents Product, Price, Place, Promotion, namely product, price, channel, and promotion.

Regarding products, there is a requirement for unique selling points, placing the product’s functional appeal as the top priority. Regarding pricing, determine the product’s price based on different market positioning and brand strategies. Regarding channels, it is necessary to establish appropriate sales channels to further help companies connect with consumers. Regarding promotion, it includes not only narrow “promotion” but also a series of marketing behaviors, including brand promotion (advertising), public relations, and promotion.

Product: Data-driven assistance for localization

The Middle East has very strict requirements for women’s clothing, but it does not limit girls under the age of 6-7, and parents can dress up their children as they please. Therefore, the infant and toddler clothing track is the category with the least restrictions in the Middle East.

However, what really makes Hibobi stand out is its emphasis on localization strategy.

Hibobi regards promoting localization as a top priority. By establishing an efficient product research, optimization, and development process, the local team forms data reports based on market trends and provides feedback to the backend development team for product development. At the same time, the Hibobi team has rich experience in the Middle East market, making products and operations more targeted. This makes Hibobi’s products more easily accepted by local consumers, thereby gaining market share.

Channel: Cultivate brand loyal customers through independent sites

Hibobi has positioned its main battlefield in the Middle East since the beginning. The Middle East has a large population, a high per capita disposable income, and an average e-commerce unit price of up to $150. In addition, the family structure in the Middle East is large and has a huge population dividend, and the local light industry development is relatively insufficient, which is a great opportunity for Chinese brands to go abroad.

If you want to build a brand, an independent site is the best soil.

By establishing an independent site and setting up an official account on social media, Hibobi can directly establish contact with consumers. This strategy helps Hibobi maintain its brand image and reach consumers directly.

In order to successfully implement a localization strategy in the Middle Eastern market, Hibobi has not only invested heavily in technology and logistics, but also hired local employees responsible for customer service and social media operations. In addition, Hibobi has launched a variety of localized promotional activities for the Middle Eastern market, including holiday promotions, limited-time discounts, etc., which further attract consumer attention and purchases.

It is with this advantage that Hibobi has quickly established a foothold in the Middle Eastern market.

Pricing: targeting the mid-to-high-end market

Hibobi’s product line mainly focuses on children’s clothing under the age of 10, targeting the mid-to-high-end market. The product pricing ranges from 45 to 100 RMB, which is basically similar to PatPat’s price range.

So far, Hibobi’s annual sales have been stable at around 50 million US dollars, indicating that the mid-to-high-end brand positioning is feasible in the Middle Eastern market.

Promotion: combining overseas social media with offline promotion

According to relevant data, Saudi Arabia has the highest social media user growth rate in the world, so local social media marketing is essential for Hibobi to establish a foothold in the Middle East.

Hibobi has established official accounts on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and has adopted different marketing methods according to the audience tone of different accounts.

From the data, Hibobi’s private domain operation on Facebook is very effective, which can obtain more accurate customer traffic and product conversion rate. Similarweb data shows that Facebook is the main source of social media traffic for Hibobi, accounting for 96.27%.

In addition, Hibobi actively carries out offline activities, establishes cooperative relationships with local partners, and further improves brand awareness and reputation. In order to better develop its business in the Middle Eastern market, Hibobi has established close cooperative relationships with local partners in the supply chain, logistics, advertising, and other aspects.

The success of Hibobi in the Middle East market is remarkable. Through accurate positioning, localized product development, reasonable pricing, and comprehensive promotion, Hibobi quickly gained a foothold in the Middle East market and won the recognition of consumers.

From the brand case of Hibobi, it is not difficult to see that the choice of overseas market is like “honey to A and poison to B” for sellers in different categories. Simply following the footsteps of predecessors may only be enveloped in the shadow of predecessors. The choice of the market is also crucial for sellers. Choosing the right overseas market can make it easier for independent sellers to stand out in the process of going global.

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