IHMA Company Profile – Tin Dan

The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) is made up of the world’s leading hologram suppliers and manufacturers. The companies that make up the association come in all shapes and sizes and are distributed across the globe, which Holography News® reflects in this series of member profiles.

VIVIAN label from Tin Dan.

QR code with track & trace label from Tin Dan.

In this episode, HN shines a spotlight on Vietnamese security solution supplier Tin Dan (TDN). The company, based in Ho Chi Minh City, has been instrumental for some 15 years in helping businesses push back against the effects of counterfeiting in various industries in Vietnam such as the food, jewellery and pharmaceutical sectors.

The economic situation in Vietnam in 2000s was complicated. While still holding on to many of the vestiges of a planned economy, the country saw growth in household businesses and small-scale entrepreneurship. It saw decent rates of increase in its Gross Domestic Product, which peaked in 2007 (8.5%) but declined in 2008 (6.3%) and 2009 (5.3%)1. The corresponding episodic rise and fall in household incomes, opening of international trade, and an aspirant class of consumers interested in buying global (and domestic) brands fuelled the increase in the informal economy – and counterfeiting in particular.

Violet Nguyen, CEO of TDN, summarises the situation like this: ‘due to the complicated change in counterfeiting, it caused great damage to many brands in the Vietnamese market. With its experience in the field of packaging, TDN was established to provide brand protection solutions for many big brands in Vietnam since 2007’.

From the outset, TDN had ambitions greater than simply building a successful business. Ms Violet continues: ‘reputation and product quality are the premise for TDN to have the brand value it has today. In addition to business, TDN wishes to contribute to eliminating counterfeit products by providing security solutions to businesses as well as consumers, gradually removing unqualified products from the market. Shown clearly through our slogan – Clear Your Risks – Seize Your Opportunities.’ 

Part of TDN’s mission is to not only protect brands, but to educate consumers to protect themselves from the disappointment, and possible harm, of counterfeit goods. According to Ms Violet, counterfeiting in Vietnam is very diverse in both the way it operates and the products it attacks. Along with that, consumer awareness is not high in differentiating between real and fake products. ‘That is the challenge that we need to overcome in the future, educating our users more and understanding the value we bring.’ 

In August 2020, TDN launched the VIVIAN® heat-resistant range of holographic labels to add to its other high-security packaging materials. The formulation of the label structure protects against the fraudulent re-use of the label by using heat to remove it from a surface without destroying its integrity.

‘Our first step was to make sure we understood the needs of the market’, said Ms Violet. ‘Our first laminate formulation was good, but we felt we could improve on it. 10 trials and 18 months later we have the final formula that we are happy with.’ 

And now, in 2022, TDN is taking a new strategic direction. Looking to capitalise on the marketing and supply network that it has developed in Vietnam, the company is planning an event to promote technology as well as share market information with big brands in Vietnam. But before launching the event, TDN is compiling market data to ensure it can give the most up-to-date advice to clients.

Ms Violet had this to say about the direction the company will take. ‘In the future, besides security solutions, we aim to integrate the track and trace system to integrate in the management of production and circulation of goods. We first developed a transformative data management system across products, thereby creating a digital barrier on our security products. Then, depending on market fluctuations, we will develop the corresponding software.’ 

By the end of 2022, TDN plans to add more staff for business activities and software engineering, to bring better service to its customers. As a first step to designing its future, and the future of brand protection in Vietnam, the company has adopted a new logo.

Tin Dan is an example of an IHMA member that is perfectly adapted to its local and regional circumstances. If you like to share your company story with the readers of HN, please drop a note to [email protected]. 

But the final word goes to Ms Violet: ‘I am very proud that we were the first member of the IHMA from Vietnam. Our brand is always with the top brands, which motivates us to find more partners.’

Tin Dan’s new logo.

For more information about TDN, visit www.tdn-company.com.vn. 

1 - https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/27582.