Make a pit stop at FamilyMart to fuel your mind and body with a single serving of BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken

By

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1st June 2018

Struggling to stay focused or having a mid day slump? Worry not as BRAND’S^® Essence Of Chicken is now available in ready-to-drink single bottle servings, making it convenient for people on the go to consume the essence anytime and anywhere to give themselves a mental and energy boost.

Enjoyed chilled or warm depending on how you like it, the single serve BRAND’S^® Essence of Chicken is priced at RM5 for a 42g bottle in selected FamilyMart outlets across the Klang Valley.

The ten selected FamilyMart outlets are located at Damansara Uptown, KLIA2 Gateways (Arrival & Departure), Bandar Sunway, Amcorp Mall, Nu Sentral, MyTOWN, Scott Garden, Jalan Sultan, MyTOWN and Wisma Lim Foo Yong.

So whether you want to fuel your mind and body at the start of the day, have a mid day boost or stay focused and energized when pulling in all-nighter, head over to the friendly convenient FamilyMart for your single serving of natural goodness.

“BRAND’S^® continues to innovate and expand our consumer touch points to meet their evolving needs and preferences. Our experience has shown that single serves are also popular in Thailand and Singapore and we want to bring this new channel to Malaysian consumers. We are excited about having our first single serve at FamilyMart and we plan to grow this concept of making it more convenient for our consumers to stay mentally and physically energetic all day,” said Kuang Ming Ming, General Manager of BRAND’S^® Suntory Malaysia.

BRAND’S^® Essence of Chicken is backed by over 40 international scientific papers and clinical studies and results have shown that regular/ daily consumption improves memory by up to 15% and enhances concentration by 22%, while metabolism can be increased by up to 16% to give the body an added energy boost.

Clinical studies show that regular consumption of BRAND’S^® Essence of Chicken not only improves one’s mental and physical performance while keeping stress at bay by reducing anxiety, mental and physical fatigue as it increases blood circulation and oxygen flow to the body and brain.

For more product information and details, visit www.brandsworld.com.my, BRAND’S^® Smart Living on Facebook or call BRAND’S^® Customer Care Line at 1-300-228-300.

7-Eleven Malaysia, Opening Opportunities

By

Tan Heng Hong

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1st June 2018

Kuala Lumpur, 25 May 2018 – 7-Eleven Malaysia, the largest convenience store chain in the country, recently organized a baking session for Persatuan Wanita & Ibu Tunggal Nur Iman Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (PWITUS), with the support of its startup, NGOHub Asia.

Located in Batu Caves, Selangor, PWITUS is formed in 2009 by Sheilla Tukimin, and is targeted at supporting women to sustain themselves independently. The non-profit organization coordinates a variety of learning and sustainability programs for the community to expand their knowledge and gain more skillsets, as well as provide resources and utilities needed for them to run a business and earn income. Till date, the organization has more than 600 members, all of which consists of single mothers and women who are widowed, divorced, or disabled.

An experienced baker was invited to conduct the baking session where about 20 participants were present. They were taught the techniques on how to make Florentine biscuits – a pastry which consists of nuts and seeds – using Florentine powder, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, black sesame, and pumpkin seeds. The purpose of this activity was to teach the community how to make baked goods that they can sell to the public for extra income, especially during the month of Ramadhan when the preparation for the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri is much astir.

Ronan Lee, General Marketing Manager of 7-Eleven Malaysia said, “It is truly a pleasure to be able to fulfil our part for these remarkable women who have been through much hardship. We aspire to inspire women to better and take charge of their own lives, and knowing that the change we make motivates us to extend our help further to those who need us, as it is our aspiration to continue to be Always There For You.”

The organization currently seeks funds to get larger kitchen appliances that would provide the community an opportunity to run their own business by selling baked goods.

About 7-Eleven Malaysia

7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Berhad through its subsidiary 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is the owner and operator of 7-Eleven stores in Malaysia. Incorporated on 4 June 1984, 7-Eleven Malaysia has made its mark in the retailing scene and has been a prominent icon for over 33 years. 7-Eleven Malaysia is the pioneer and largest 24-hours standalone convenience store operator in Malaysia with over 2,200 outlets nationwide and serves more than 900,000 customers daily. 7-Eleven stores can be found across bustling commercial districts to serene suburban residential compounds throughout Malaysia, from petrol stations and LRT stations to shopping malls and medical institutions. 7-Eleven is Always There For You.

Kimball Brings A Scrumptious Feast Hosted by Celebrity Chef Fikree To Your Home This Raya

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

1st June 2018

Petaling Jaya, May 30, 2018 – Raya open house is such a joyful celebration to attend especially as family and friends come to gather for the lavish spread of local celebratory delicacies. But to host it would be a different story altogether. The stress from choosing which decorative items to buy, to purchasing new clothes for the whole family and then planning out your Raya spread could be overwhelming sometimes.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have relatives and friends over to your house to enjoy a Raya feast with the company of a celebrity chef, without you having to break a sweat organizing or spend a single cent to cook up a feast?

As part of Kimball’s Mudah dan Lazat, Hati Terpikat campaign, Kimball is organizing a contest, teaming up with celebrity Chef Fikree Aznan to host a Kimball Raya open house feast for two lucky Kimball users. Chef Fikree and Kimball will be coming over to your home bearing a mouth-watering spread of delectable Kimball Raya festive food consisting of appetizers, main dishes and dessert such as Kimball Festive Raya Gado-Gado, Kimball Chicken Kurma with Kimball Tomato Chickpeas Rice, and Kimball Special Dates Cake, just to name a few, to serve 10 people.

As part of a token of appreciation to thank loyal Kimball users, these two winners will also receive Tupperware hampers worth RM1,000 each. There are also 50 Tupperware hampers worth RM268 up for grabs.

To enter this contest, simply purchase Kimball products worth RM10 and above in a single receipt, answer a simple question and submit the answer as well as your personal particulars via WhatsApp to +6016.454.7909. Contest is open to all Malaysians aged 18 and above residing in Malaysia. Hurry, participate now as the contest ends 10 June 2018.

For more information on Kimball’s contest its terms and conditions, visit Kimball’s website at http://www.kimball.com.my/, or log on to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KimballMalaysia/!

About Kimball Malaysia

With a heritage of over 40 years, Kimball is a Malaysian food brand that has a wide range of products such as Sauces (Chilli, Tomato, Oyster, Black Pepper, BBQ), Dressing (Mayonnaise), Dry Pasta and others to create flavorsome possibilities for less. Kimball encourages Malaysians to add Kimball products in their meal preparation to make the dishes tastier at affordable cost.

Nescafe Cold Brew RTD arrives

By

Tan Heng Hong

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31st May 2018

Nescafe Cold Brew — Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

Cold brew and nitro coffee are no stronger to coffee connoisseurs in Malaysia. Starbucks started offering cold brew in Malaysia in October 2016 and nitro cold brew in September 2017. In addition, there are also a host of third wave coffee shops in the country.

Thanks to the efforts of the foodservice industry which has cultivated the cold brew scene for years, Nescafe Malaysia finally felt it is the right time to introduce its latest creation – Nescafe Cold Brew Latte for the RTD coffee category. According to the JAKIM site, there is another variant known as Nescafe Cold Brew without latte.

Started out in foodservice in the US

Photo Credit: Nestle Professional North America

Nestlé Professional North America introduced Nescafe Cold Brew Coffee in the US in 2017. Available in packs of twelve, 30 oz. cartons, it is described as “an easy, efficient alternative to the operational complexity of slow brewing cold brew coffee in house.” The press release mentions the “Nescafe Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate is made with only coffee and water – no preservatives or additives – using select beans that have been sustainably sourced.”

Premiumising Nescafe RTD coffee

In Malaysia, the Nescafe Cold Brew Latte has essentially premiumised the company’s RTD coffee range and elevated the out-of-home, on-the-go coffee drinking experience to the next level. The 240ml Nescafe Cold Brew Latte is priced at RM 3.90 at 7-Eleven, 34% more expensive than the ordinary 240ml Nescafe Latte RTD, which has a much lower price tag of RM 2.90.

Nescafe Cold Brew Latte is described as having a smooth taste and is brewed cold. Available at 7-Eleven Malaysia outlets. The sugar content is 5.6g per 100ml serving with sugar, stevia and creamer as sweeteners. The key ingredient is cold-brewed coffee extract.

Ichitan wants consumers to become creative with unique food creations

By

Tan Heng Hong

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30th May 2018

Ichitan Indonesia is expanding the usage of its RTD tea drinks by encouraging the creative use of Ichitan drinks. The #kreasichitan or Ichitan creation approach sees new food and drinks created by Chef Arnold and Chef Puput using Ichitan beverages.

Chef Arnold’s creation Creme Brule employs Ichitan Thai Milk Tea, while Chef Puput’s mojito is made using Ichitan Honey Lemon.

Below is the Frozen Lychee Mocktail made using Ichitan Lychee.

What Mini Me thinks

Beverages are increasingly crossing over into food service. Such approach could hopefully stimulate the demand for Ichitan beverages beyond the retail, impulse channel. It also opens up experimentation with non-alcoholic, artisan-inspired options.

TH True Malt, a new malt drink player

By

Tan Heng Hong

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29th May 2018

TH True malt cover — Photo Credit: TH Milk

Vietnam’s TH Milk Food Joint Stock Company has kept consumers excited with a series of innovative launches in the past months. From TH True Nut to TH True Herbal, lo and behold, TH Milk has unveiled TH True Malt.

The malt drink is made from the fermentation of barley and is described as a healthy drink. The nutrients per 100ml serving are 34.4kcal of energy, 8.5g of carbohydrate and 0.11g of protein.

They come in 500ml can selling at a price of VND 12,500 and 500ml PET bottle at VND 10,000.

Acquired taste

In terms of the competitive landscape, malt drink is a small segment Vietnam and TH is most likely the sole local producer of malt drink. However, malt drink is an acquired taste and it will take some time for consumers to get used to the taste. Marketing around health is important to attract consumers to the malt segment.

How malt drinks are positioned in Malaysia and Taiwan

In Malaysia, malt drink is a by product of beer manufacturing and the key players are the two major breweries – Heineken Malaysia Berhad (Malta) and Carlsberg Malaysia (Nutrimalt). Malta is described as a healthy drink fortified with Vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and non-alcoholic.

In Taiwan, malt drink is positioned as an energy-giving drink and rich in Vitamin B complex. Most of the malt drinks in Taiwan such as Karamalz and Malz are imported from Germany or from Europe.

Marigold HL Milk celebrates 30th birthday with new pack design

By

Tan Heng Hong

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29th May 2018

Marigold new look SG — Photo Credit: Marigold Singapore

Marigold HL Milk turns 30 this year. The team at Malaysia Milk Sdn Bhd has given the brand a stronger, healthier and more youthful look. It is time for the brand to look back and celebrate how it has brought goodness to generations of Singaporeans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnNmGErS4ew

Marigold HL Milk was the first high-calcium, low-fat milk to be launched in Singapore in 1988.

The new packaging has a more prominent colour coded scheme on the side of the pack. The stripe on the side gives the pack a more curvy shape to accentuate the low fat and slimming properties of the milk.

F&N celebrates Raya with limited edition flavours

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

29th May 2018

In Malaysia, F&N is presenting Orange Crush, a throwback drink, containing real orange juice for this Raya celebration. Orange Crush is the same product introduced during Chinese New Year in early 2018.

In Singapore, the soft drink giant has introduced 5 limited edition sparkling festive flavours for Hari Raya Puasa including lychee pear, pink grapefruit, pineapple and passion fruit.

New F&N Seasons 1.5L pack

https://www.facebook.com/FnNSeasonsMalaysia/videos/2133149620058376/

F&N Seasons ice tea has a new slightly curvy 1L bottle in Malaysia providing consumers such as those with a smaller family with a lower price and a smaller pack size.

What is the difference between Authentic Tea House & Heaven and Earth? (updated)

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

29th May 2018

What is the difference between Authentic Tea House and Heaven and Earth? The answer is both brands are actually owned by Coca-Cola. Heaven and Earth originated from Singapore as an RTD tea brand, while Authentic Tea House is the English translation of 淳茶舍 (Chun Cha She), currently a Coca-Cola’s RTD tea range in Hong Kong.

Ayataka is the the third on the left. Photo Credit: Coca-Cola HK

Coca-Cola is likely to be embarking on a rebranding exercise to shift its Ayataka range to Authentic Tea House. At the moment, the Ayataka unsweetened Japanese cloudy tea in Malaysia comes under two labels – Heaven and Earth and Authentic Tea House, which is really confusing to consumers who are unaware of the differences between the two brands.

A closer look at the ingredients of Authentic Tea House Ayataka and Heaven and Earth Ayataka reveals both are actually the same product.

Provenance in tea

Across the Causeway into Singapore, Authentic Tea House has Da Hong Pao Oolong Tea and Ayataka, both are focusing on provenance to recruit sophisticated drinkers. The premium tea leaves in Da Hong Pao Oolong Tea are described as coming from the famous Wuyi Mountains in China.

Authentic Tea House Da Hong Pao in 7-Eleven Singapore in May 2018. Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com

What Mini Me thinks

What we feel about Authentic Tea House is this is a rebranding exercise by Coca-Cola to attract a new breed of tea drinkers who want something more sophisticated and authentic in their RTD tea.

We see this same happening in Thailand with Ichitan with its latest Shizuoka by Ichitan premium tea. The new RTD tea does not have reference to Ichitan on the front pack, a conscious attempt to create a new brand to disassociate away from the mainstream Ichitan brand.

This is the same approach for Authentic Tea House with sweetened tea reserved for the existing Heaven and Earth brand.

At the moment, it is really confusing to have Authentic Tea House and Heaven and Earth sitting side by side but it does raise the eyebrow of consumers who might pick it up and examine it.

Finally, we are likely to see these RTD tea under the Authentic Tea House brand.

Review of Mighty White Mango Fruity, consumers want more fruit, bigger pieces

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

29th May 2018

Mighty White Mango Fruity Cream Roll has been in the market for several months. It is likely Mighty White is the first bread company in Malaysia incorporating mango as a filling in its cream roll, making it an innovative product.

Puratos survey reveals consumers want more fruit and bigger pieces

Puratos, the food ingredient suppliers dedicated to bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers, said in its “Taste Tomorrow” survey that there is “a distinct consumer preference for fruit because it is both natural and tasty”, reported foodingredientsfirst.com.

The portal reported citing Jo Libensl Global Category Manager responsible for all Puratos fruit fillings, that “both the consumer and our customers are increasingly looking for more naturalness in their fillings. They want more fruit and bigger pieces, but combined with a high baking stability to enable them to use the fruit as a filling for croissants and Danish pastries.”

What Mini Me thinks

For the new Mighty White Mango Fruity Cream Roll, the concept of having mango flavour as a cream filling is innovative but it can go one step ahead by adding real fruit pieces. Even though “with real mango” is mentioned on the packaging, when you actually eat it, you do not feel the real mango texture in the cream.

Also launched together with Mango Fruity in early 2018 is Sweet Honey with crystal brown sugar.

Mini Me Insights

Make a pit stop at FamilyMart to fuel your mind and body with a single serving of BRAND’S® Essence of Chicken

7-Eleven Malaysia, Opening Opportunities

Kimball Brings A Scrumptious Feast Hosted by Celebrity Chef Fikree To Your Home This Raya

Nescafe Cold Brew RTD arrives

Ichitan wants consumers to become creative with unique food creations

TH True Malt, a new malt drink player

Marigold HL Milk celebrates 30th birthday with new pack design

F&N celebrates Raya with limited edition flavours

What is the difference between Authentic Tea House & Heaven and Earth? (updated)

Review of Mighty White Mango Fruity, consumers want more fruit, bigger pieces

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