Kong Xiangpeng, General Manager of Yangzhou Zhiduowa Toy Co., Ltd. — An Interview with Kong Xiangpeng, General Manager of Yangzhou Zhiduowa Toy Co., Ltd.

Over more than a decade of iterative upgrades in the toy industry, a steadfast force of Chinese manufacturing has taken root in niche segments, firmly setting its course amid shifting tides. Steering clear of fleeting trends and speculative booms, it has focused on the core domain of plush‑toy customization—moving from tentative beginnings to becoming an industry benchmark. Through thirteen years of unwavering dedication and accumulated expertise, it has crafted a vision of disciplined commitment and artisanal excellence. At the helm of this momentum is Kong Xiangpeng, General Manager of Yangzhou Zhi Duo Wa Toys Co., Ltd., who has led his team through the complex landscape of non‑standard customization, weaving design innovation, rigorous quality control, and exceptional customer service into the company’s very DNA. His leadership has not only witnessed the transformative evolution of China’s toy sector but has also, through steady growth, redefined the pinnacle of the high‑end custom‑made segment.

Insightful Market Vision: Pioneering a Blue-Ocean Niche in Non-Standard Customization

In 2013, China’s toy market remained mired in low‑end contract manufacturing and counterfeit knockoffs. Most companies either relied on foreign‑trade orders, repeating the same labor‑intensive processes, or followed trends without innovation. Meanwhile, the sophisticated demand for “customization based on provided designs” had become a largely untapped niche that many firms hesitated to enter. At that time, Kong Xiangpeng, who had recently left a state‑owned instrument factory to start his own business, keenly sensed subtle shifts in the market: the success of the Beijing Olympic Games’ “Fuwa” mascots and Shanghai Expo’s “Haibao” mascot had brought widespread recognition to the value of corporate mascots. As a result, an increasing number of domestic companies sought to transform their proprietary graphic identities into three‑dimensional plush toys—yet they struggled to find partners capable of precisely fulfilling this need.

A custom mascot order from a Huzhou‑based company became the key that opened the door to a new growth trajectory in the industry. At the time, Kong Xiangpeng lacked experience in plush‑toy manufacturing, but driven by sheer tenacity, he traveled across major toy‑production hubs—Yangzhou, Dongguan, Qingdao, and others—repeatedly refining prototypes and fine‑tuning designs. Working closely with designers on the production line, he honed every detail until the job was completed on schedule, delivering what had initially seemed like a daunting “hot potato” order. This experience profoundly convinced him that, as corporate brand awareness continues to rise, custom mascot services are poised for explosive growth—presenting an ideal opportunity to break into the market.

Yangzhou, a city that seamlessly blends refined elegance with a robust industrial heritage, once accounted for more than 90% of China’s plush‑toy production capacity. Its mature supply‑chain ecosystem and abundant talent pool have provided fertile ground for business growth. In 2014, Kong Xiangpeng established a plush‑toy factory in Yangzhou, officially committing to the custom‑plush‑toy sector. However, the unique nature of non‑standard customization means companies cannot rely on traditional mass‑production methods: customer orders typically involve small batches and frequent iterations, fabric purchases may amount to just a few meters, and sampling requests come in continuously—placing extremely high demands on supply‑chain agility and coordination.

To tackle this challenge, Zhi Duo Wa Toys pioneered a flexible “small‑order, rapid‑response” supply chain system. On the procurement side, it patiently cultivated long‑term partners willing to accommodate small‑batch deliveries; in sampling and production, it assembled a team of expert pattern makers to handle a high volume of low‑value orders; and on the quality‑control front, it established end‑to‑end inspection standards to meet customers’ stringent requirements. Though seemingly complex, this system has become the company’s core competitive advantage, enabling it to carve out a differentiated path for survival amid the industry’s widespread push toward mass production. From its initial focus on mascot customization, the company has gradually expanded into areas such as supermarket‑product exports and cultural‑creative merchandise development, steadily broadening its business footprint.

Upholding Fundamentals While Innovating: Forging an Industry-Leading Core

In the custom toy industry, research and development—and design—are the very sources of core competitiveness. Today, the company has assembled a professional team led by more than twenty designers, comprising seasoned artisans with over 30 years of industry experience as well as emerging talents from art academies. This seamless integration of three generations—veterans, mid-career professionals, and young innovators—ensures both technical excellence and consistency while infusing the work with fresh creativity and vitality.

To ensure a steady flow of design inspiration, the company has established a comprehensive innovation‑driving system: weekly design‑case sharing sessions foster knowledge exchange and spark creative dialogue among team members; regular monitoring of domestic and international trade shows and emerging trends provides designers with cutting‑edge insights; and cross‑disciplinary learning is actively encouraged, drawing inspiration from fields such as fashion and home textiles while keeping an eye on annual color palettes and popular IP. This approach ensures that each design not only exudes aesthetic appeal but also resonates with real‑world needs. Backed by robust R&D capabilities, the company can precisely meet client expectations—whether crafting event mascots, luxury‑brand merchandise, or museum‑themed cultural products—delivering high‑quality creations that combine visual allure with meaningful substance.

Even more commendable is that the company’s designers have authored a textbook for plush‑toy pattern‑making specialists, standardizing and systematizing years of accumulated technical expertise and design processes. This initiative not only codified the company’s core technologies and elevated the team’s overall professional competence but also established a benchmark of reference for the entire industry, positioning the company among the leaders in industry‑standard setting and significantly enhancing its visibility and recognition within the sector.

Plush toys enjoy a broad consumer base, particularly among children, making quality and safety paramount. From the very beginning of his venture, Kong Xiangpeng adopted a business philosophy centered on “quality above all,” establishing a comprehensive quality‑control system that spans the entire production process—from raw‑material procurement and manufacturing to final product delivery. In the raw‑material stage, every batch of fabric undergoes rigorous testing, with strict adherence to technical standards covering colorfastness, fabric weight, and heavy‑metal content. During production, each step—cutting, embroidery, sewing, and hand‑finishing—is supervised by dedicated quality inspectors, with multi‑level checks ensuring that only compliant semi‑finished products proceed to the next stage. At the finished‑product stage, defective items are subject to zero tolerance.

Faced with an industry landscape dominated by non‑standard plush toys and the difficulty of achieving fully automated production, the company has adopted a hybrid “human‑plus‑machine” manufacturing model. It optimizes mechanizable processes to the fullest while retaining skilled manual finishing for tasks that demand precision. Despite steadily rising labor costs, Zhiduowa has consistently refused to compromise on quality, relying on standardized production workflows and rigorous quality‑control procedures to ensure every product stands up to market scrutiny. This relentless pursuit of excellence has earned the company the trust of numerous high‑end clients, making it a partner to renowned brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Moutai, and enabling it to undertake custom mascot projects for major events like the Winter Olympics and the Asian Games.

In the B2B customization industry, building a strong reputation hinges on delivering exceptional after-sales service. Zhiduowa consistently upholds the core value of “customer first,” treating after-sales support as an integral part of its corporate brand image. Guided by this principle, the company has established a comprehensive after-sales service system: for any modification requests from customers, it unconditionally covers repair costs, fully safeguarding their rights and interests.

This service-oriented approach—prioritizing long-term collaboration over short-term gains—has earned the company widespread acclaim from its customers. Over the past thirteen years, it is precisely this after-sales philosophy of “unconditionally resolving customers’ problems” that has enabled the company to establish a solid foothold in an intensely competitive market, build a large and loyal customer base, and emerge as a true “behind-the-scenes hero” in the industry.

Pragmatic Action for Lasting Progress: Leading the Industry Toward Steady Advancement

In recent years, driven by the meteoric rise of trendy toy brands like Pop Mart and the burgeoning popularity of AI technology, the toy industry has experienced a wave of investment enthusiasm. Numerous brands and investors have approached Kong Xiangpeng, inviting him to co‑found joint ventures in an effort to replicate the success of blockbuster IPs or to enter the AI‑toy space. Yet, despite these seemingly enticing opportunities, Kong Xiangpeng has remained steadfastly clear‑headed and resolute.

He positions the company as a “farming‑based nation,” focusing on cultivating its own niche rather than becoming a “nomadic tribe” chasing every fleeting trend. In his view, the success of a breakout IP requires not only capital and production capacity but also long‑term cultural accumulation, effective IP management, and robust channel development; blindly following trends rarely leads to lasting success. Meanwhile, though the AI‑toy sector holds vast potential, it remains fraught with uncertainties and is far from the company’s core strength. Rather than spreading resources into areas where it lacks expertise, the company chooses to deepen its competitive moat in the custom‑made segment, maximizing the value of its premium‑customization advantages. This disciplined approach—refraining from overextending itself and staying laser‑focused on its core business—has enabled the company to maintain steady growth amid industry volatility, steering clear of the pitfalls that come with chasing short‑lived trends.

Currently, the toy industry is grappling with widespread challenges such as rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce. To address these issues, Kong Xiangpeng has formulated a clear development strategy: on the one hand, he is steering the company toward high-end transformation, steering clear of low‑tech, low‑margin mass‑market products and focusing instead on high‑value, premium custom‑made offerings. Given that the company’s high‑end customization services are unmatched in the domestic market, customers remain willing to pay a premium for superior quality—even in the face of external factors like tariff adjustments. On the other hand, by establishing new manufacturing facilities in remote regions, the company not only reduces production costs but also boosts local employment, achieving a win‑win outcome that balances corporate growth with social responsibility.

In talent development, the company has established a nurturing framework centered on the principle of “ordinary people achieving extraordinary results.” For newly hired employees, we facilitate rapid growth through one‑on‑one mentorship, internal training materials, and hands‑on project experience. For core team members, we provide ongoing learning opportunities and clear pathways for career advancement, encouraging them to align their personal development with the company’s long-term growth. This robust talent‑development system not only addresses industry-wide talent shortages but also strengthens employee engagement and loyalty, laying a solid foundation of skilled personnel for the company’s sustained success.

In recent years, the cultural and creative industries have become a key priority for national support, with robust and sustained market demand. As the largest category within this sector, plush toys—thanks to their soft, endearing designs and powerful ability to bring IP characters to life—have emerged as an essential vehicle for driving innovation in the field. Keung Xiangpeng has keenly recognized this trend, positioning his company as an “IP incubator.” Beyond offering end-to-end services—from graphic design to product development—the firm leverages its extensive industry expertise to provide strategic guidance, helping clients create hit products that resonate with consumers.

From cultural‑and‑creative derivatives produced by institutions such as the Palace Museum and the Suzhou Museum, to distinctive souvenirs from tourist sites like Tiananmen Square and Wudang Mountain, and even to university‑specific mascots, the company’s custom cultural‑and‑creative services continue to expand. Riding the wave of the cultural‑and‑creative industry’s growth, the enterprise has not only achieved steady sales increases—reaching RMB 150 million in 2024 and projected to surpass RMB 180 million in 2025—but has also played a proactive role in cultural dissemination, turning plush toys into powerful vehicles for conveying cultural meaning and brand value.

Looking ahead to the next one to two years, Kong Xiangpeng’s development plan is clear and resolute: continue to deepen its expertise in the high-end custom plush‑toy sector, steadily strengthen core capabilities across design, production, and after-sales service, and refine its service system to deliver exceptional support to every customer; leverage the momentum of the cultural‑creative industry to further expand its custom‑made cultural‑creative offerings, creating more products that combine cultural value with strong market appeal; and, guided by the core values of “customer first, quality above all, and focused innovation,” lead industry progress through steady, sustainable growth.

Thirteen years of weathering storms and braving the elements, thirteen years of dedicated craftsmanship and intelligent manufacturing. Amidst industry upheavals, the company has steadfastly charted its course and pressed forward with unwavering resolve, evolving from a pioneer in high-end customization into a benchmark for the high-quality development of China’s plush‑toy industry. At a time when the cultural‑creative sector is flourishing and Chinese manufacturing is making the leap from “Made in China” to “Created in China,” Zhi Duo Wa remains true to its original mission of “deep cultivation and artisanal excellence, upholding core values while embracing innovation.” It not only empowers the realization of China’s cultural‑creative IPs but also conveys to the world the quality and warmth of Chinese intelligent manufacturing. Looking ahead, as industrial upgrading and cultural confidence continue to grow, this enterprise—steadfast in its初心 and at the forefront of change—will undoubtedly write a new chapter of enduring success and global leadership.