How AI is helping one of the most famous toy brands grow in the challenging retail sector
Who is Adam Krajčovič?
Even Adam Krajčovič doesn’t really know yet (laughs). I would define Adam Krajčovič as someone who has been working in e-commerce for 15 years, a career he entered completely by chance. I enjoy technology and problem-solving, finding ways to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. I started with smaller projects at a time when Alltoys didn’t even have an online store. Gradually, these projects grew into six major ones, such as Bambule.cz and 4kids.cz, and I’ve been responsible for them ever since.
If someone had told you as a child that you would one day work in the toy industry, would that have been a dream come true?
I’m not sure if I’d be completely honest, but I wouldn’t call it a “dream job.” It sounds nice, but since we are seasonal, it comes with a lot of stress. I probably never had a “dream job,” but I would definitely call this a job I’m genuinely satisfied with.
What projects are you currently working on?
Currently, it’s a mix of e-commerce, including all online stores in the Alltoys group—4kids.cz, maxikovyhracky.cz, Bambule.cz, etc.—and their integration with marketplace platforms. At the moment, we are focusing on Amazon, which has great potential, and we are also expanding our presence on Allegro and Kaufland.
What do you enjoy most about working in e-commerce, and how did you decide to pursue it as a career?
I would answer both questions the same way—frustration with untapped potential. E-commerce has enormous potential and room for growth, such as implementing same-day delivery, which is now very close to becoming standard even for smaller stores. This would almost erase the difference between retail and e-commerce. Of course, it depends on how customers adapt, but looking at Rohlík.cz or Alza.cz, I think they will accept it without any problem.
If you had to summarize your approach to marketing in one sentence, what would it be?
Value for money, but from the customer’s perspective. You can’t just be the cheapest to cover all costs, nor the most expensive and survive. I highlight Alza again—they could be a role model for everyone. They don’t have the lowest prices, but the comfort they provide surpasses all competitors. If the service and price are good, marketing practically takes care of itself. Of course, there will always be customers looking for the lowest prices, but today, impulse often decides.
What role do automation and artificial intelligence (AI) play in marketing success?
A very big one. Definitely big—you can see it whether someone uses it or not. Automation is undoubtedly the future. Even at Bambule, we run several projects at once, such as automating banner creation for ad campaigns—the system selects trending products and generates banners within seconds, sending them directly into the system. Instead of a week-long “ping-pong” with materials and manual work, it all happens instantly.
If you had to name one mistake that e-commerce managers or marketers should avoid, what would it be?
I have many (laughs)—they should avoid letting their ego interfere and listen, whether to customers or colleagues. Simply pay attention to what others say and always think in broader terms. What isn’t visible now could become important. I’d also recommend using the KIS (Keep It Simple) method—e-commerce isn’t rocket science, and everything should be done as simply as possible.
How do you see the future of e-commerce, and do you think it will help online marketing?
Online marketing will always be here, but it will likely evolve and change. The trend is moving toward centralization—we’ll have an assistant on our phone predicting what we want, and we’ll be able to order everything through a single app. Online stores will still exist, but more as a backend layer, with an assistant on top generating orders and offers. It will be a huge data web—sharing everything from prices to stock levels—like one massive marketplace. We see this trend already with Heureka, which is starting to lose momentum.
How did you first hear about Tanganica, and what convinced you to use it?
If I remember correctly, it was a classic cold call. You were among the first to implement AI, and that caught my attention. Within a few clicks, we launched Tanganica, it started generating revenue, and we didn’t pay it much attention—like a quiet partner delivering results.
Why did you decide to try Tanganica on such large projects as Bambule.cz?
Bambule.cz has more challenging conditions—due to retail constraints, we can’t be as competitive in e-commerce. We’re looking for ways to find ad positions our marketing doesn’t focus on, which Tanganica offers. Overall, we are early adopters in e-commerce—we like to try new paths and test tools, discovering opportunities others don’t see. If successful, we expand collaboration, as we did with you, to other projects.
Were there any initial concerns about using Tanganica?
The only concern was from the agency, worried you might deliver better results. We had none. We focus on development from the numbers, which is what matters most to us.
Where do you see the biggest added value of Tanganica?
I see Tanganica as a litmus test. I launch it, and it delivers results. Then I can see if there’s space we haven’t fully utilized in our existing marketing. It’s a good comparison tool and allows me to benchmark against Tanganica. If it can generate significantly more effective campaigns than we can, I want to understand why and how to improve our campaigns.
Would you recommend Tanganica to other marketers or e-commerce managers? Any advice?
Absolutely, as long as it’s not a competitor. I’d say, “Try it—nothing to lose. Upload your feed and Pixel, spend 5,000 CZK—the money you burned yesterday—and launch it. If it doesn’t work, your campaigns are already great. If it does, you have the chance to understand why this standardized tool performs better than a much more expensive agency.”