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SINALCO carbonated soft drink now available at 7-Eleven

The German classic drink SINALCO is now available at 7-Eleven in the Philippines. Local Euro Interbev Corp was awarded the exclusive license to import, produce and sell SINALCO products for the Philippines market. The deal was granted by Germany’s SINALCO International Brands GmbH & Co. KG, reported the news portal of the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in February 2018.

The drinks are packed in cans in Malaysia by Kian Joo and the ingredients are sourced from Germany.

Euro Interbev will focus on HoReCa and the modern trade channel with plans to produce select SINALCO SKUs domestically within 5 years.

Taste will be a key determining factor. One user was saying SINALCO tastes “between coke and rootbeer,” while another claims the drink is “not too sweet and not too overpowering.” With sweetened beverages coming under the new tax regime, it makes people wonder if sweetened beverages are worth pursuing.

Apart from 7-Eleven, SINALCO products are available in some leading supermarkets, such as Landmark, South Supermart, Makati Supermart, Puregold (Lifestyle), Sta. Lucia, Freshto, Hitop and Iloilo Supermart.

Pizza, Cheese Pimiento Gardenia Cream Rolls anyone?

Photo Credit: Gardenia Philippines

Gardenia in the Philippines has introduced several interesting cream rolls in June 2018 that are quite innovative. The three new flavours are:

  • Pizza
  • Cheese Pimiento
  • Butter Sugar

The company claims its newest Gardenia Cream Roll Pizza has a smoky meaty taste!

Companies can borrow flavour trends from other markets eg mango cream filled bun from Mighty White in Malaysia and vice versa and this would give them plenty of flavours to work with.

New Vitamilk Banana

The number one soymilk brand in the Philippines Vitamilk now has a new banana flavour. It adds to the current double choco shake flavour.

LT Group, the parent company of Asia Brewery Inc (ABI), said in its 2017 President Report that its soymilk market share remains at over 80%. Soymilk contributed 10% (PHP 340 million) of total ABI revenues of PHP 3.4 billion.

LT Group did hinted a drop in market share in Q1 2018 by saying the share of Vitamilk in the soymilk category stood at over 70% during the first quarter of 2018, an indication that rival Vitasoy is eating into its market share. However, the soymilk segment continues to grow by double-digit.

NSTP Working with iPrice Group to Offer Exclusive Online Shopping Promos

KUALA LUMPUR: The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) will be working with the best local marketing platform, iPrice Group Sdn Bhd, to provide exclusive promotions and coupons for online shoppers through http://vouchers.nst.com.my/.

The website that was developed through an e-commerce platform would be launched by New Straits Times (NST) this month and would be updated daily.

NSTP digital business and development general manager, Azizi Othman, said the initiative was launched to fulfil the companies’ commitment in offering a diversity of digital products and services with add-on values for its customers.

He said apart from having an excellent reputation in Malaysia and the region, iPrice has the capability of providing a platform to compare prices of over 250 million products, making it convenient for customers to select the best option before making a purchase.

“The voucher portal will list down high-value online voucher and coupon offers from 60 e-commerce businesses in Malaysia and across the globe.

“At the same time, NST digital content will also be enhanced to establish it further and with improved quality.

“We believe that the collaboration will further strengthen the e-commerce ecosystem and improve the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) through NST’s participation in the industry,” he said.

iPrice Group marketing chief officer, Matteo Sutto, said the company was honoured to work with Malaysia’s oldest English newspaper to provide a global shopping platform through the easiest and fastest method.

He said the rapid Internet economic growth had seen an increase of e-commerce businesses and the company had an opportunity to offer more choices to online customers by merging all the existing options.

“Reports by Google and Temasek revealed that the value of e-commece in Malaysia is expected to reach over RM33 billion (AS$ 8 billion) by 2025 and the industry is growing more rapidly than forecasted.

“NST had successfully developed along with the times since decades ago in providing the most relevant, current and comprehensive news reports to Malaysians.

“We believe that this teamwork will give even a bigger impact to millions of customers consistently,” he said.

The voucher portal will showcase the highest offers searched online like Lazada, Zalora, Shopee, Grab, Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia and others.

Shoppers can also look for the best offer easily through popular category search like electronics, fashion, health & beauty, travel & hotels, and others.

Online users will be able to maximise their savings at ‘New Voucher’ New Straits Times website in three easy steps:

  1. Select your coupon.
  2. Be sure to click and read the terms and conditions after selecting the coupon.
  3. Click ‘Copy Code’ and use the promotion codes when settling payments on the e-commerce websites. If there is no code, proceed to the online store to enjoy discounts.

All offers handled by iPrice Group are also available at ‘meta-search’ platforms in seven countries, namely, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Hong Kong.

About iPrice Group

iPrice Group is a meta-search website where Malaysian consumers can easily compare prices, specs and discover products with hundreds of local and regional merchants. iPrice’s meta-search platform is also available in six other countries across Southeast Asia namely in; Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam and Hong Kong. Currently, iPrice compares and catalogues more than 250 million products for millions of consumers across the region.

iPrice currently operates three business lines: price comparison for electronics and health & beauty; product discovery for fashion and home & living; and coupons across all verticals.

 

Otsuka’s Soyjoy snack bar now locally made in Indonesia

Photo Credit: Soyjoy Indonesia

Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced on 5 July 2018 that it has started the local production of its whole-soy nutritional food Soyjoy at the Kejayan factory in East Java. Previously, the low GI snack bar was imported from Japan.

A new halal-compliant Soyjoy Strawberry was also launched on 2 July 2018.

Soyjoy Crispy launched in early 2018. Photo Credit: Soyjoy Indonesia

The new factory has a maximum annual output capacity of 60 million soy bars. Assuming production is running at full capacity with each Soyjoy priced at IDR 6,800 or USD 0.47 at Indomaret in July 2018, the total retail sales value of Soyjoy could potentially reach USD 28.23 million a year.

The new local factory also means the market for on-the-go snack bar in Indonesia is rising and can serve as a springboard into other Southeast Asia markets where the Indonesian halal certification is recognised.

A2 fresh milk comes to Indonesia

Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

Indonesia’s ABC Kogen Dairy has recently unveiled A2 Cows 100% Fresh Milk (Plain, Coffee and Chocolate) in Indonesia. So far, no marketing has been launched to promote this new range of shelf stable dairy.

Rarity

A2 fresh milk is a rarity in most markets in Southeast Asia. The recent hype about A2 milk, a type of cow’s milk that is free from A1 beta-casein protein, has opened up new opportunities to market cow’s milk that contains only A2.

Normal cow’s milk has both A1 and A2 but A1 is the one that makes the milk harder to digest and can cause discomfort in people who are lactose intolerant, a common situation for most Southeast Asia consumers. However, drinking A2 cow’s milk, which comes with lactose, does not mean it is suitable for those who are lactose intolerant. However, a study in China shows A2 milk could bring relief to those who have unpleasantness related to protein.

It all comes down to marketing

Fear of A1 milk with some studies linking it to type-1 diabetes, heart disease and autism could drive consumers to A2 milk. However, a lot of these studies have not been fully substantiated. But it plays into people’s fear just like with gluten where prevention is often the route taken by consumers to ensure one’s health is safeguarded.

How A2 milk is marketed in India

In India, the market is now awash with A2 milk following the rediscovery of the benefits of A2 milk from Haryanvi, Sahiwal and Rathi breeds of indigenous (desi) cows. In a culture with strong veneration to cow, consumers are warming up to drinking milk from indigenous cows as they return to their roots and embrace locally sourced food.

Photo Credit: Amulonline

Amlaan adopts a more sensational approach to marketing its A2 milk by claiming drinking A2 milk will prevent kids from being exposed to type-1 diabetes.

 

Photo Credit: Amlaan Dairy

It would be interesting to see how ABC Kogen markets its A2 cows milk in Indonesia.

Pocari Sweat Ion Water debuts in Singapore

Photo Credit: Pocari Sweat Singapore

Singapore has become the 5th market globally for Pocari Sweat Ion Water, announced Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in a press release on 2 July 2018. The existing markets for Ion Water are Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea. The drink was first introduced in Japan in 2013 before going international in 2014. Pocari Sweat Ion Water is lower in sugar and is made without preservatives, artificial sweeteners & flavouring.

In Singapore, the 350ml Pocari Sweat Ion Water is certified as a Healthier Choice by the Singapore Health Promotion Board for its low sugar content.

Sweetened with monk fruit

Ion Water is sweetened with monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) or luo han guo (眗汉果), an ingredient that resonates with Singaporeans. Luo han guo is consumed as a traditional Chinese medicinal drink to cool down the body.

Therefore, it is natural to highlight luo han guo as an ingredient to Singapore audience, which we do not see this happening in Indonesia when it was first launched there.

Luo han guo has a shout out on pack. Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

The use of luo han guo as a sweetener is a rarity in Southeast Asia despite its recognition as a sweetener and for its medicinal properties. The Milo RTD in Malaysia is a good example where luo han guo is used as a sweetener. Perhaps luo han guo can play a bigger role in view of the reformulations going on to address sugar taxes or comply with healthier choice regulations.

Coca-Cola Malaysia new pricing for 330ml PET bottle

Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

Coca-Cola Malaysia has a new pricing for its 330ml carbonated soft drinks in can following the government scrapping of the 6% GST in June 2018. The new price is RM 1.00, down from RM 1.20.

Similarly, the new price for the 1.25L pack (Sprite) is RM 2.35, down from RM 2.60 and Fanta 1.25L from RM 2.40 to RM 2.15 The prices are applicable at 99Speedmart, a key channel for the 330ml (can) and 1.25L (PET) pack sizes.

Also available is the 120ml Coke Stevia, seen at Tastefully Food & Beverage Expo in The Mines 2 in June 2018. This RM 1.00 drink is meant for provision stores or sundry shops.

Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.comSte

 

Making Blending an Adventure for Your Child

Crush ice within seconds for a perfectly blended frozen smoothie with the Philips Viva Collection Blender

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – In Malaysia’s intense tropical heat, cold drinks are always in demand. From a young age, our children have enjoyed the cool relief that an iced drink offers on the hottest days. While they typically consume chilled cordial drinks or mass-produced juices, there are concerns about the sugar content of these drinks, with nutritionists recommending that children reduce consumption of such sweetened drinks[1].

To achieve a better balance of refreshing coldness and nutrition, a delicious frozen smoothie could just be the thing that hits the spot. You may be thinking that frozen smoothies are difficult to prepare at home, so you’ll undoubtedly be pleased to discover an all-in-one blender that efficiently combines all ingredients and crushes ice speedily to make the perfect frozen smoothie in no time at all, and you have complete control of all ingredients to boot.

“Food preparation can be a fun way for parents to bond with children, besides teaching them about nutrition and training them to be handy in the kitchen – definitely a useful life skill. Routine kitchen tasks such as blending ingredients can become an exciting adventure when you have an extraordinary tool to use. With the Philips Viva Collection Blender, you can get creative and have a lot of fun making healthy and refreshing smoothies. Its highly durable and shatterproof Duravita Tritan jar frees you from worry even if the kids are helping. There’s no fear of having to replace the blender jar if it is accidentally knocked over,” said Mr Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Country Manager of Philips Malaysia.

Crushing the hard stuff in a durable blending jar

The Philips Viva Collection Blender HR2157/91 is enhanced with blades that use ProBlend 5 technology, enabling you to crush ice 20% faster compared to other blenders. This means you no longer have to use tough, knuckle-cracking methods like hammering or pounding to break up blocks of ice. What’s better, this blender comes with the Duravita Tritan jar, made of copolyester that adds strength, versatility and flexibility to the jar. With this added element, the blending jar is shatterproof and will not smell or stain, leaving it easily washable and as good as new after every wash. It can also withstand the pressure and velocity of blending solid ingredients such as ice and hard types of vegetables or fruits.

What all this means is that you won’t need to blend your ingredients separately from the ice to make that frozen smoothie you’re craving. Having it all done in just one appliance speeds things up and brings you that much closer to the cool delight of your frozen smoothie. For example, if you’re making a frozen fruit smoothie with bananas and strawberries, all you need to do is add in those fruits, with a little milk, yoghurt and honey to taste, then blend it all together in the Philips Viva Collection Blender HR2157/91. Lastly, add in the ice which will be crushed in just a few seconds, and your frozen smoothie is ready to serve.

Start off your #PhilipsPerfectBlend adventure with Philips and transform your kitchen into a “playground” for learning while you and your child have fun times preparing meals in a safe, convenient and adventurous way!

Pricing and availability

The Philips Viva Collection Blender with the Duravita Tritan jar (HR2157/91) is available at a retail price of RM376 at the Philips Brand Store in Publika Shopping Gallery and Wangsa Walk Mall, both in Kuala Lumpur, and in Sutera Mall, Johor Bahru; at the Philips Experience Store in Menara Axis, Petaling Jaya; at retail partners and distributor stores nationwide, and online via the Philips Online Shop at  http://www.shop.philips.com.my/.

For more information, visit www.philips.com.my or Philips Home Living Facebook page.

[1] Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

http://nutrition.moh.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/penerbitan/buku/MDG_Children_adolescent_2014.pdf

Click here to purchase on Lazada.

https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsHomeLiving.my/videos/2002299086489431/

 

Nestle Tropicana Lychee Yoghurt with French yoghurt powder

Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

Nestle Malaysia has unveiled a new Tropicana Lychee Yoghurt Flavour ice cream with yoghurt powder from France.

The choice of French yoghurt powder is interesting. France is often associated with premium indulgent ice creams eg HÀagen-Dazs. French yoghurt is few and far between in Malaysia with most yohurt coming from Australia and the US.  However, the ice cream needs the exotic, indulgent twist that only French, Greek or Bulgarian yogurt can deliver.

Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

With the addition of French yoghurt powder, the new ice cream now fetches a price of RM 1.90 compared with RM 0.95 for the ordinary Tropicana Lime.

Perhaps the next step is French, Greek or even Bulgarian yoghurt ice cream?

 

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