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Ichitan releases guava, mango flavoured RTD tea

By
Tan Heng Hong
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Thailand’s Ichitan Group PLC launched two new RTD green tea in Indonesia in December 2017. The two flavours are guava (jambu) and mango (mangga).

The two new addition means Ichitan now has a total of nine beverages for the Indonesia market including 4 flavoured green tea, one milk tea and one unsweetened tea.

The RTD maker has plans to increase the proportion of export in 2018 to counter the impact from the new sugar tax in Thailand where 30-40% of its products are currently impacted. Indonesia will be a spotlight for Ichitan in the years to come. Expect more new launches and exciting marketing activities in Indonesia in 2018 and beyond.

Anti-pollution theme in Pokka Nastbee Honey & Lemon juice drink

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

With the tagline “Bersihkan Hari Aktifmu” or “Clean Up Your Active Day,” the new Pokka Natsbee Honey & Lemon juice drink offers the message of anti-pollution and anti-toxic to consumers.

With the hashtag #AsikTanpaToxic, the Pokka juice drink with vitamin C, real lemon juice and natural honey, claims to remove the toxin in the body as a result of exposure to air pollution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl4D6YjHxtI

We have seen anti-pollution claim in beauty and personal care products in Indonesia but the message is not actively applied in the drinks category due to the lack of scientific claims.

What makes Pokka Natsbee Honey & Lemon juice drink unique is the use of the simple yet easy-to-understand Natsbee Cleanometer to represent excessive pollution, stress and poor lifestyle. All these negativity can be removed by consuming Pokka Natsbee Honey & Lemon juice drink.

By embracing the anti-pollution and anti-stress theme, the honey and lemon juice drink could provide a soothing relief to urban commuters exposed to the harsh weather and polluted streets.

Heavenly Blush – Greek secret to staying full longer

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

Indonesian yogurt brands are making full use of the “secret to” to market their yogurt products. We have seen ABC Kogen Dairy launching its Kin Bulgarian yogurt drink with the tagline “The Secret to Living Younger.” This product contains Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and has been linked to the longevity of the Bulgarian people who have more people aged 100 years and older.

PT Nutrifood Indonesia’s Heavenly Blush aired a TV commercial in early 2018 accompanied by a digital campaign to promote its Greek-styled yogurt. Television presenter Sandra Olga, born to a Chinese-Indonesian father and German mother, is featured in the campaign travelling to the Greek island of Santorini in search of the secret to the healthy and active lifestyle of the Greek people. The Greek is portrayed as eating less but feel fuller for a longer time. By eating snacking less, this would help to reduce weight.

The secret is Greek yogurt – high in protein and thickness. Heavenly Blush Greek yogurt is described as having the same properties of Greek yogurt made in Greece. That is the Greek secret of staying full longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGsNOz2tuZE

 

The State of eCommerce 2017 – Insights on the Malaysian and SE Asian Online Shoppers

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

iPrice Group, a meta-search website where Malaysian consumers can easily compare prices, specs and discover products with hundreds of local and regional merchants, has issued its first whitepaper study on eCommerce in Southeast Asia. The full study can be viewed by clicking here.

Here is a quick gist of the most important Malaysian-centric data from the whitepaper:

  • Malaysians’ favourite day & hour to shop online
    • Malaysians’ favourite hour to make purchases is at 4:00pm
    • Malaysians’ favourite day to make purchases is on Wednesdays
    • Though most purchases were conducted during the weekdays,online traffic was significantly higher on weekends
  • The Mobile Revolution
    • 74% of eCommerce’s online traffic were from mobile devices
    • Malaysian shoppers are most likely to make an online purchase via desktop than mobile
  • Purchasing Behaviour
    • The average online order value / basket size is USD $54 / RM 210.90
    • Malaysians are more likely to purchase more expensive items via desktop
  • Payment options
    • 100% of eCommerce merchants provides credit card payment methods while Vietnam is lowest at 60%
    • The most unpopular payment option provided by merchants is offline POS & instalment payment method

 

Get your snack in a drink – Del Monte Juice & Chews

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

Del Monte has launched Juice & Chews with Pineapple and Nata Bits in the Philippines. The new Del Monte Juice & Chews is seen as a bit to capture a slice of the growing snacking market.

Consumers are snacking more frequently as the definition of “snacking” has broadened. Snacking used to be equated to junk food but now a snack can mean anything from yogurt to bread. Some consumers are eating smaller meals and snacking throughout the day rather than going for three big meals.

With nata de coco, it provides a chewy sensation and a sense of filling. The drink is described as “get your snack in a drink.”

It is available in four flavours – blueberry, lychee, strawberry and pomelo selling in a 350ml PET bottle.

Previous launches 

Del Monte has previously launched 100% pineapple juices in Tetra Pak carton for the family in Aug-Oct 2017, according to Del Monte Pacific 2Q FY 2018 results. It offers convenient resealable option and more affordable price per serving.

In November 2017, the white grape flavour was added, while in January 2018, the mango peach flavour was made available.

The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right was transitioned to a new sexy bottle in July 2017 with the launch of the new block the sugar campaign. The new packaging has the block the sugar tag and a calorie call out.

https://www.facebook.com/FitnRight/videos/10155971161399206/

 

 

Captain Oats poised to be a global market leader

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

AWARDED SOBA 2017 BEST IN GLOBAL MARKET PLATINUM AWARD

BUTTERWORTH, 9 February, 2018 – Oats are one of the most popular staple breakfast meals globally, including Malaysia, but many of us might not know that although oats are not planted in Malaysia, the 1st and ONLY oats milling plant in South East Asia is actually a Malaysian company located at Butterworth, Penang known as Federal Oats Mills Sdn. Bhd. (FOM).

FOM is currently exporting to more than 35 countries across South East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa and China. Established since 1965, FOM has been processing oatmeal products under the brand Captain Oats as well as acting as an OEM manufacturer for other companies. Instant Oatmeal, Quick Cook Oatmeal and Rolled Oats are FOM’s most popular products. Since 2 years ago, FOM has launched a new range of oatmeal product called Eazy-Go Oats. Aiming to target the health-conscious and busy young adults segment, Eazy-Go is currently available in Malaysia and Singapore. 

For more than 4 years in a row, FOM has been registering a remarkable high growth performance and it has also managed to achieve an impressive CAGR of 28.7% with the export market contributing 82.3% of the total revenue for FY 2016/17. FOM is also regarded as one of Malaysia’s export champion, having gained a market leader position in the Middle East, especially in countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia. According to AC Nielsen report 2016, FOM’s house brand – Captain Oats is the No. 2 brand in Singapore – trailing closely just behind the global brand leader.

“Our foundation for steady growth lies in our unique Oatifreshℱ Process and our adherence to various international quality standards. Such efforts allow us to deliver fresh and consistently high quality products to our customers.  But the journey to become a global product, company and brand, requires more than just producing quality products. We also have to thank our international partners and distributors for their total commitment to grow the market together with us. Just believing in our vision is not enough – the FOM team also works hard to achieve our vision of becoming the preferred brand for healthy meals and subsequently, allowing the global community to enjoy the best of everyday life.” says Michael Chew, Executive Director of Federal Oats Mills.

The Captain Oats brand has also been awarded the National Mark of Malaysian Brand Certification as a recognition of its brand excellence, while FOM’s global market success has also received equally noteworthy acknowledgement when it was accorded the highest honors with two prestigious awards – the Best in Global Market (Platinum Award) and the Best in Marketing (Silver Award) at the recent The Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2017.

The Global Oatmeal Market is expected to reach a value of USD 2.50 Billion by 2022 (Zion Market Research) and globally, the Muslim community’s expenditure on food and beverage is estimated to reach USD 1,128bil, growing 4.3% from USD 1,081bil in 2013 and potentially rising to USD 1,585bil in 2020, according to the Malaysia Halal Export 2015, Halal Industry Development Corporation 2016. “We are foreseeing high growth rates for the oatmeal market as more and more people around the world, especially in developing nations, are getting more health conscious. FOM is located strategically in South East Asia and is certified Halal and these two major factors provide us with a distinct advantage and a competitive edge in the global market.” added Michael Chew.

FOM has also announced in Aug 2017 that they will expand their operations by establishing a new production facility at the Halal Food Zone, Penang Science Park in Bukit Minyak, with an investment of RM120 mil, to cater to growing demand for oats-based products. The new plant will see the increase of the company’s production volume to about 4 times of its present capacity. “FOM is committed to invest heavily in R&D in order to develop new product ranges to meet the ever-changing demand from young adults. Among these will be oats-based cereal and food products which will deliver the hearty goodness of oats to consumers worldwide.” Michael explains.

About Federal Oats Mills Sdn Bhd

Captain Oats is the 1st and only oats milling plant in South East Asia. We produce oatmeal under the Captain Oats brand.  We export to more than 35 countries across South East Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa and China. Our products are mainly categorized into 4 categories, namely, Instant OatMeal, Quick Cook OatMeal, Rolled Oats and the recently-launched Eazy-Go Instant Oatmeal / Porridge.

Website: www.mycaptainoats.com

A tour inside GS25 convenience store in Ho Chi Minh City

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

South Korea’s GS Retail opened its first store in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Ba Trung Street in District 3 on 19 January 2018. Minime Insights visited one of the new GS25 stores to give readers an in-depth look inside the South Korean convenience store giant maiden foray into the vibrant Vietnamese convenience store market.

Located in District 3

The GS25 on Truong Dinh Street is located in District 3 and was officially opened on 29 January 2018. The outlet resembles a typical GS25 in Korea with an outside seating area complete with giant umbrellas bearing the GS25 logo. There is also a parking area for motorcycles.

Strong hallyu feel

The outlet has a very strong hallyu (Korean wave) feel. The GS25 employee will greet each and every customer in Korean in line with its #BringyoutoKorea experience.

The store features the latest imported Korean food and beverages as well as GS25 private brand You Us. It targets young Vietnamese in their 20s and 30s who are familiar with hallyu, reported Vietnam Economic Times.

Serving in the hot food section are Korean delights such as topokki (spicy rice cakes), Korean-style fried chicken, dumplings, boxed lunches and Korean onigiri.

The onigiri and California rolls are made by CĂŽng Ty TNHH Mega Việt PhĂĄt – NhĂ  MĂĄy Megadeli in the Mekong Delta’s Long An province.

Here are some of the prices of the fresh and hot food at GS25

  • Sandwich Go Karaage – VND 25,000
  • California roll – VND 29,000
  • California wasabi roll – VND 30,000
  • Tuna kimchi onigiri – VND 15,000
  • Tuna and egg salad – VND 30,000
  • Cajun chicken salad – VND 30,000
  • Cream spaghetti – VND 39,000
  • Bolognese spaghetti – VND 39,000
  • Kimchi rice – VND 36,000
  • Kimchi fried rice – VND 35,000
  • Fried drum’s stick – VND 25,000
  • Topokki – VND 18,000
  • Strawberry smoothie – VND 20,000

Also served at GS25 are Western pastries, Japanese oden and local Vietnamese buns supplied by Thọ PhĂĄt Food.

Fresh produce

GS25 sells a selection of fresh produce including fruits and vegetables for nearby residents looking to top up on their daily needs. The sliced fruits and vegetables include white cabbage, cabbage, carrot, capsicum and are sourced from CĂŽng Ty TNHH The Fruit Republic selling under the Mekostar brand. Mekostar’s produce is fully traceable from the retailer to the farmer.

There is a chiller selling frozen processed meat/seafood/vegetable products such as dumpling, pork spring roll and siaomai.

Future plans

GS Retail, South Korea’s number 1 convenience store retailer, plans to open 50 GS25 outlets in Vietnam in 2018, leveraging its “friendly-fresh-happy-fun” business model. The retailer does not stop there. It has an ambitious plan to have 2,500 outlets in Vietnam within 10 years, reported Vietnam Investment Review.

*All images are copyright of the author.

Kewpie egg shell calcium sauce to build stronger bones

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

Calcium (canxi) is featured in many new food and drink innovation in Vietnam. To provide the extra calcium in food, Kewpie Việt Nam introduced a new product called egg shell calcium sauce (Xốt Canxi Vỏ Trứng) in the second half of 2017. The liquid is made from egg shells, probably the byproduct of sauce manufacturing, to be added into rice to increase the calcium content in the food staple to build stronger bones.

The key ingredients are water, egg shell powder (12.8%), ethanol for food (10.4%), thickening agent and natural lemon flavour.

It provides at least 450 mg of calcium per 10ml sachet of egg shell calcium sauce. The product is available in 100ml pack (10ml x 10 sachets) at VND 37,900 (USD 1.66) and 1 litre PET bottle (VND 252,000).

By cooking 300g of rice with 10ml of egg shell calcium sauce, it gives one bowl of rice (150g) 100mg of calcium. This product is ideal for the elderly to improve their bone health.

The following chart shows the merit of consuming eggshell calcium versus calcium carbonate by a female over the course of 12 months.

The egg shell calcium sauce can be added in other dishes including egg to provide the additional calcium benefit.

Quaker oat for rice

In Malaysia, also a rice eating nation, we have seen PepsiCo introducing Quaker Oat for Rice. The product is described as a convenient way to add wholegrain goodness to your rice. The oat is rice in beta glucan to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Placed next to rice

In Vietnam, the egg shell calcium sauce is conveniently displayed next to rice.

Photographed by the author at Aeon

What Mini Me Thinks

Brands such as Kewpie and Quaker are exploring ways to add the additional nutrient to rice to capitalise on the fact that rice is a staple in most parts of Asia.

 

 

Milo under flak and its implication for brands

By
Tan Heng Hong
-

In Malaysia, Milo has come under flak from a social media activist Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of Mindvalley, who insisted Milo is high in sugar and is bad for health. The seriousness of the allegation has prompted Nestle to convene a press conference on 6 February 2018 to refute the claim that Milo contains 40% of sugar is actually incorrect.

The summary of the press conference and the event is well summed up by WorldofBuzz and Malaysiakini.com.

At Minime Insights, we feel the Milo saga resonates with Malaysian consumers because there is a growing distrust of the marketing message of big brands when it comes to health particularly on the topic of sugar.

The incident also reveals consumer growing interest to understand the product ingredients on pack. They are also becoming more wary of strange sounding ingredients like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and maltodextrin and are going online to research themselves of the ingredient’s implication for health.

The implication for Malaysian food manufacturers from the Milo saga is to clean up their label with all-natural and no artificial ingredients and start thinking about sugar and lowering the use of it in their products.

Activity “Chime” with Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh

By
Tan Heng Hong
-
Marketing General Manager of 7-Eleven Malaysia, Ronan Lee (centre); Founder of Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh, Haji Yusof Noor (2nd from top left); volunteers from 7-Eleven Malaysia and NGOHub Asia with children from Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh.

Ampang, 29 January 2018 – In conjunction with International Creativity Month, 7-Eleven Malaysia and NGOHub Asia conducted an arts and crafts activity for the children at Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh (Rumah Amal Asnaf Barakh), at Ampang, Selangor.

The activity was led by 7-Eleven representatives, and the children were taught how to construct a wind chime using cupcake paper cups decorated with colourful beads and embroidery thread. Volunteers from NGOHub Asia also took part to facilitate the activity by guiding the participants with their creations.

Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh (Rumah Amal Asnaf Barakh) is a non-profit organization that houses children from low-income families. Founder Haji Yusof Noor has actively supported the underprivileged, and was inspired to extend his efforts further of helping families who were struggling financially after learning about their circumstances. “I offered to rent a space for the children to stay and care for them so that it would ease the burden of families who are unable to fully support their entire household,” he said.

Since 2010, the community has shifted to different locations as they were unable to sustain their tenancy with past landlords. Their current location in Ampang, Selangor, is the longest they’ve stayed and they seek aid for their rent and new furniture to replace the ones that are damaged. “We also hope that we can receive support for necessities such as milo, diapers, milk powder, poultry and fish as these items are costly. Currently, we have 54 children with us, and we would like to provide them with the best that we can to ensure that they stay comfortably,” he added.

The day was concluded by 7-Eleven’s distribution of goodie bags to the children, consisting of various snacks and beverages; and provisions to help alleviate the community’s operational expenses, namely eggs, Milo and diapers.

7-Eleven Malaysia Marketing General Manager Ronan Lee expressed his delight to partake in the creative project. “We are happy to be spending time with the children here, and feel contented to see their brightened expressions from this activity. Through it, we hope that it would help develop their creative thinking skills, as constructing the wind chime is quite challenging though we kept in mind to add in a dash of fun as well.”

He further added, “We strongly believe in uplifting the lives of those who need us, and knowing the difference we can make for the community here inspires us to continue our endeavours of being ‘Always There For You’.”

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 have 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.

 

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