Extra Joss Bar fuels performance one step at a time

By

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4th September 2017

PT Bintang Toedjoe, the maker of Extra Joss energy drink in powder format, has unveiled a new innovation. The new Extra Joss Bar is a cereal bar made from white chocolate, rolled oat and rice crispy.

With the tagline “Laki Never Stop” or “Male Never Stop” in English, the new Extra Joss Bar provides the energy to fuel performance. “Laki Never Stop” can be viewed similar to Johnnie Walker’s Keep Walking but with an athletic twist.

The Extra Joss Bar TVC shows the perseverance of the men in the commercial who train themselves whenever there is an opportunity. It can be in the form of sit up, pull up or push up. The never stop spirit is encapsulated in the term “dikit-dikit,” which means “little by little.”

The brand hopes consumers can treat “Laki Never Stop” as a lifestyle.

Tony Hawk: I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport

Laki never stop Qurban

During Hari Raya Haji, also known as Eid al-Adha or the “Sacrifice Feast,” Bintang Toedjoe organised an event at 1,700 mosques in Indonesia with the theme “”Laki Never Stop Qurban.”

https://www.facebook.com/extrajossbar/videos/1852920611401227/

The essence of the partnership with the two major Islamic bodies Nahdlatul Ulama dan PP Muhammadiyah is to encourage young males to treat “berqurban” or to sacrifice not as an imperative (keharusan) but as a lifestyle (gaya hidup), said Presiden Direktur PT Bintang Toedjoe, Simon Jonatan.

From powdered drink to bar

The new Extra Joss Bar represents the brand extension of Extra Joss into the snack bar category. Extra Joss is the second largest player in the energy drink category in 2016 in terms of volume, according to Kalbe Farma‘s Company Update – Unaudited YTD June 2017.

The snack bar category has become an attractive platform to address health issues. Amerta Indah Otsuka’s Soyjoy encourages consumers to eat Soyjoy two hours before meal so that they can reduce their intake of carbohydrate, thus leading to weight loss. Kalbe Farma’s Fitbar with multigrain and quinoa make you feel fuller and thus making you feel less likely to eat unhealthy foods.

What Mini Me thinks

The new Extra Joss Bar is positioned more as a sports bar to fuel performance and this is a new positioning for cereal bar in Indonesia.

Real Good milk now in flexible plastic pouch for reheat, microwave

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

4th September 2017

Indonesia’s Japfa Ltd has introduced Real Good milk in flexible plastic pouch with sweet cheese, strawberry cereal and chocolate cereal flavours. The milk in flexible plastic pouch is the first of its kind in Indonesia and offers an alternative to the existing pillow pouch format.

Here is the TVC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hLLCnpICUY

Reheat, chill and microwave

The flexible pouch can be microwaved to reheat, chilled in the refrigerator or soaked in hot water with a temperature of 70°C.

To consume, just tear the side and insert a straw.

Real Good UHT sales volume dipped

Sales volume of Real Good UHT fell 18% in the first half of 2017, according to Japfa’s 1H 2017 financial results. The company attributed this to weaker purchasing power citing falling retail sales.

This poor performance in the first half of 2017 stood in contrast with a 19% growth in sales volume for the January-December 2016 period, according to the FY2016 investor presentation. In 2015, sales volume of Real Good UHT milk jumped 30% year-on-year.

New fruit flavoured milk

Japfa, through its unit PT So Good Food, has added the 125ml fruit flavoured milk to the Real Good Fruity range – blackcurrant, strawberry and orange (jeruk). They come in a 125ml carton. The Real Good Fruity are fortified with vitamin A and D3 and are contain fresh milk.

The Real Good Fruity range also comes in a 60ml pillow pouch.

What Mini Me thinks

As consumers upgrade to higher quality products, this forces the mass-market focused Real Good UHT to ride the trend with more convenient and modern packaging format. The new range could potentially help to arrest the sales decline of Real Good UHT milk and freshen its image.

Coca-Cola Malaysia provides healthier options

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

3rd September 2017

HCL logo on pack

Coca-Cola Malaysia now has four beverages featuring the Ministry of Health’s Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) on their packs. The four beverages are Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Light, Heaven & Earth Jasmine and Heaven & Earth Ayataka (sugar free).

The new Coca-Cola Zero Sugar uses the sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame K to replace Coca-Cola Zero, which was previously formulated with aspartame, a sweetener where there is an ongoing debate about its safety. The official explanation is the new sweeteners will ensure the drink matches the taste of the original Coca-Cola minus the sugar.

Small packs for portion control

Ahmed Yehia, Country Manager for Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei, The Coca-Cola Company

In addition to the HCL, Coca-Cola Malaysia has introduced the new 330ml in PET, previously in 390ml PET. Lowering the volume is “a consequence of we want to make sure we are giving small packs for our Malaysian consumers so they can enjoy without really getting worried about the amount of sugar they are getting,” explained Ahmed Yehia country manager for The Coca-Cola Company Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei. He said this on the sideline of the launch of Coca-Cola Malaysia’s Independence Day commemorative can on 22 August 2017.

Making the packs smaller

He added the company is “trying to get the packs smaller and smaller and this has been a big discussion with the Ministry of Health.” Ahmed also said that “it is one of our commitments that we are going to make it [the pack] smaller.”

RM 1.50 (425ml) Fanta, Coca-Cola and A&W selling in a provision goods store in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Photographed by the author in August 2017

425ml will become mainstream

The company is reducing the volume for can by 10ml and PET from 390ml to 330ml and from 500ml to 425ml. Ahmed added that the company will “mainly” have the 425ml and “maybe a few outlets will keep the 500ml as this is their request but most of the market will be in a 425ml.”

Role of 390ml

The 390ml, which was previously selling at RM 1, was “there to give an opportunity to Malaysian consumers to try our products,” said Ahmed.

Whole non-alcoholic beverage market slowing down

According to Ahmed, the entire on-alcoholic beverage market in Malaysia is slowing down in 2017. This is a continuation from the end of 2016.

What Mini Me thinks

The actions of Coca-Cola Malaysia demonstrate the beverage company, which is also the leading carbonated soft drink player in the country, understood the need to play an active role in public health. The company is lowering the volume and is giving consumers more information through the HCL to enable consumers to make an informed choice.

New Cornetto Rainbow Pop

By

Tan Heng Hong

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3rd September 2017

Unilever has unveiled Cornetto Rainbow Pop in Thailand and Indonesia. It is the first rainbow ice cream with popping candy by Cornetto.

The ice cream has a chocolate tip and caramel sauce in the middle. Cornetto Rainbow Pop is also available in mini version in Indonesia.

Here is the image for the same product in Thailand.

Cornetto Pop Awards

In Indonesia, the new product was launched during the Cornetto Pop Awards on 22 July 2017. The event was aimed at recognising the top musics and artistes. The winners included Pelangi – HiVi! for the Best Pop Love Song and Raisa Andriana as the Favourite Pop Female Singer.

In Pakistan, Cornetto embarked on a similar theme with the Cornetto Pop Rock in 2016-17 with an aim to revive the pop rock scene in the country.

The Cornetto Pop Awards and the Cornetto Pop Rock events are the continuation of the brand’s DNA to connect the ice cream with young consumers who are also into popular music entertainment.

Some of the other Cornetto’s partnership with the top international singers included Taylor Swift’s “Red” Tour in 2014, which included a “Red” Cornetto, the Selena Gomez Revival Tour in 2016 and Ed Sheeran in 2017.

Recent flavour innovations

Among the recent flavour innovations in Southeast Asia are Cornetto Horlicks in Thailand, Cornetto Oreo and Cornetto Matcha.

What Mini Me thinks

Cornetto has a very clear product positioning, that is targeting young adults and this which sets the brand apart from Magnum (pleasure seekers) and Paddle Pop (children) within the Unilever Wall’s ice cream family.

Conor McGregor face of Monster in Malaysia

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

3rd September 2017

Fight of the Century

Conor McGregor, Monster’s energy drink endorser and professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer, is gracing the chilled display unit in 7-Eleven Malaysia. The latest marketing is likely to promote Conor McGregor’s ‘Fight of the Century’ with Floyd Mayweather on 27 August 2017.

As far as we know, McGregor, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) winner, eventually lost to Mayweather in the 10th round of the super fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Monster improves visibility

There is now a strong push to improve the visibility of Monster in Malaysia by having price promotions at petromarts such as the example below at Kedai Mesra Petronas.

Monster at Kedai Mesra Petronas. Photographed by the author

Expansion continues regionally

Regionally, Monster will be relaunched in India in 2017 and has started launches in China’s Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu in the first quarter of 2017. In addition, the energy drink company will commence the distribution of Monster with Coca-Cola bottlers in Taiwan and Vietnam in the third quarter of 2017.

What Mini Me thinks

The use of McGregor to market Monster in Malaysia shows the energy drink brand will likely to follow the path of Red Bull Product of Europe where it focuses on international and unconventional sporting events. This positioning will strengthen Monster as an international premium energy drink.

Carabao energy drink officially launched in China

By

Tan Heng Hong

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3rd September 2017

Carabao (卡拉宝) energy drink has been officially launched in China in an event in Beijing on 24 August 2017. The Carabao Cup (EFL) third-round draw was also scheduled in Beijing on the same day, sparking criticism from fans in the UK, reported the Guardian. An EPL spokesman said “We understand not everyone will agree on the timing of this week’s round‑three draw, but in staging in this way it will give the competition both the maximum exposure in the UK, Chinese and south-east Asian markets.”

Carabao is focusing on development the China market. Since available in China in March 2017, it has sponsored numerous non-mainstream sporting events in China but popular with young consumers. They include longboarding, freestyle football, parkour and boxing. Carabao is already in major retail chains including petrol marts, internet cafes, supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores.

Sports events sponsored by Carabao in China

Sales in China in the first half of 2017 stood at THB 612 million (USD 17.2 million) or 9.9% of the company’s total first half revenue, which reached THB 6.2 billion. Sales in China could potentially increase further in the remaining six months of 2017 with expansion of product availability.

What Mini Me thinks

The entry of Carabao in China comes at an opportune time. This comes as the current Red Bull trademark legal tussle in China between its Thai owner (T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries) and Chinese partner (Reignwood Group) is far from settle. Red Bull is the market leader in China’s energy drink market, which has been growing at a double-digit rate in the past. To improve publicity, Carabao is expected to spend a lot on marketing in China before it can turn the China business into a profit.

Relive the past with Indomie Vintage

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

3rd September 2017

As part of the 45th anniversary of Indomie, the Indonesia’s most popular instant noodle is bringing consumers down memory lane with the new Indomie Vintage.

Three vintage Indomie

Vintage Indomie from the 70s and 80s. Image from Indomie

The Indomie Vintage first appeared at PRJ (Pekan Raya Jakarta) 2017 or Jakarta Fair in June-July 2017. The goody bag, which features the vintage noodle, comes with three types of Indomie produced based on the same recipes and packaging like in the past. They consist of Indomie Kaldu Ayam (1972), Indomie Kari Ayam (1982) and Indomie Mi Goreng (1982).

Current Indomie packaging. Image from Indomie

Not just for nostalgia

According to Fierman Authar, Head of Consumer Engagement at PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk speaking to Kompas.com, the key purpose of this Indomie Vintage is not really just about nostalgia but is to let consumers know how their favourite instant noodles taste like in the past.

The Indomie Vintage is popular with the 15- to 35-year-old, whom according to Fierman fit the profile of the visitors to Jakarta Fair who are mainly young or have just formed a family.

Nostalgia marketing works well with millennials

Millennials (15-35-year-old) tend to have a strong sentimental longing for the past. Technology is a key enabler of nostalgia marketing. The technology-savvy young consumers can share and re-share on social media things they find comfort in when they are young. By doing so, it allows them to constantly relive the good old days and thus create a fertile ground for marketing based on nostalgic appeal.

Relive the taste on social media

The Indomie Vintage has generated a lot of buzz on social media. It has sparked the creation of videos showing vloggers comparing the taste of the original Indomie with the modern Indomie.

Comparing the old Mi Goreng (1982) with the new Mi Goreng (2017). Video by Garry Joe – BATTLE OF INDOMIE GORENG!!! JA-DUL vs JA-NI (INDONESIA)

The re-make of old Indomie TV ad

Indofood has also remade the Indomie TV ad. The modern re-make features Bayu Skak donning the iconic Indomie chicken costume. Bayu has over 1 million YouTube subscribers and the winner of the YouTube Golden Button Play. The chicken costume was previously donned by S. Bagio, a popular comedian who has since passed away.

Featuring popular Vlogger has helped to increase the appeal with young consumers. At the time of writing on 3 September 2017, the re-make of the vintage video has garnered over 2.1 million views within slightly over half a month of being published on YouTube on 13 August 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiPLPEJkjy8

The Indomie Vintage is available in modern retail outlets while stock last.

What Mini Me thinks

Indomie has successfully created a viral marketing tapping into nostalgia for the taste and packaging, while incorporating modern elements that resonate with modern consumers by featuring one of the top YouTubers Bayu Skak.

Battle of the taste: Goodday Green Tea vs Oishi Tea Matchi

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

2nd September 2017

Presenting the battle of the taste. The contenders are Malaysia’s Goodday Green Tea Flavoured Milk and Oishi Tea Matchi Matcha Milk Tea Drink from the Philippines.

Goodday has higher protein

Goodday has a stronger milk taste than Oishi Tea Matchi. This comes as Goodday is the number one fresh milk in the country. The protein content in Goodday is 7g per 250ml serving, much higher than Oishi’s 3g.

Oishi has higher carbohydrate and is thus sweeter

Oishi is also sweeter than Goodday with the former containing 25g of carbohydrate per 250ml serving, while the latter has a lower carbohydrate content of 17.8g.

Oishi Tea Matchi has better taste

As beverage is all about the taste, the overall winner goes to Oishi Tea Matchi for its much better taste profile.

Pascual Creamy Delight Greek Yogurt now with flavoured variants

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

2nd September 2017

In the Philippines, ABI Pascual Holdings Pte Ltd has introduced two newest flavors of Pascual Creamy Delight Greek Yogurt – Mixed Berries and Vanilla in July 2017. The current Greek Style Yogurt in plain flavour was introduced in 2014. ABI Pascual Holdings is a joint venture between Spain’s Calidad Pascual and local Asia Brewery.

The new flavoured Greek style yoghurt was officially launched at Pinto Art Museum, a place featuring the architectural style of Greece meets Spain.

The introduction of Pascual Greek style flavoured yoghurt comes in response to Nestle’s entry into the Greek yoghurt space in Febuary 2017. The new Nestle Greek yoghurt is only available in plain flavour and is described as “a new way to indulge without the guilt.” Unlike Pascual, Nestle’s yoghurt has to be stored in a chilled environment.

Bonggang Sigla

The Pascual yoghurt including the Greek style variant is described as celebrating the “bonggang sigla” moment. A good example is the sponsorship of Color Manila Run 2017, which is portrayed as the “most bongga obstacle fun run in the country.” Bongga in tagalog means stylish, extravagant, outlandish and ostentatious. Participants are encouraged to boost their sigla (zest, enthusiasm or vigor in tagalog) with Pascual Creamy Delight.

The message is primarily aimed at adults to make them perceive eating yoghurt as stylish and full of zest.

Dutch Mill Delight focusing on home delivery, new 400ml pack

By

Tan Heng Hong

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1st September 2017

Dutch Mill is developing a network of Dutch Mill Delight Experts to bring its probiotic drink closer to consumers in the Philippines. The Dutch Mill Delight Experts are similar to Yakult Ladies who deliver the probiotic drink right to the doorstep of consumers.

Coverage of Dutch Mill Delight Experts

According to the Dutch Mill Delight Philippines Facebok site, the company is looking for individuals to become a Delight Expert in the following locations in Metro Manila. The contact numbers are as follow:

Las Piñas: 0917 953 1941 / 0932 878 8783
Manila: 0917 887 0444 / 0917 895 2255
Pasig: (02) 508 5760
Quezon City (Fairview): (02) 372 7753
Quezon City (Cubao): 0917 810 2908 / 0917 703 3971
Rizal: (02) 651 1608 / (02) 651 0162
Taguig: 0917 563 9643

Yakult Lady System works in Indonesia

There is no publicly available information on the performance of Yakult Lady in the Philippines but in Indonesia, Yakult Ladies (home delivery) accounted for 48% of the bottles sold in 2013, up significantly from 19% in 2007. The remaining bottles are sold through the retail outlets.

Yakult Lady System in Indonesia. Image from Yakult Honsha Co Ltdannual report 2014 for the year ended March 31, 2014

Yakult posts double-digit growth in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Yakult sales have been increasing by double-digit, reaching 2.5 million bottles sold per day in 2016. That’s equivalent to 2.4% of the population, a figure indicating there is still ample of room to expand in the country in terms of penetration and usage.

Dutch Mill Delight now in a larger pack size

Dutch Mill Delight probiotic drink, containing both Pro and Prebiotic fiber, is now available in a larger pack size of 400ml. This adds to the current 100ml, which competes directly with Yakult (80ml) in the same segment.

The Dutch Mill Delight probiotic drink was first launched in the Philippines at the end of 2016. It was then known as the “2nd generation probiotic drink.”

Dutch Mill Delight in 100ml. Image from Dutch Mill Delight website

Following the footstep of Betagen in Thailand

Dutch Mill’s latest 400ml pack follows the practice in Thailand, which offers more packaging options for the different consumption needs and occasions.

What Mini Me thinks

In the Philippines, the Yakult Lady System has sank its roots in the country. To compete with Yakult, it is imperative for a contender brand like Dutch Mill (distributed by Monde Nissin) to introduce a similar system to close the last mile.

The introduction of Dutch Mill Delight in 400ml, a format inspired from Thailand, might work in the Philippines but it needs to be clear whom the 400ml is targeting at.

Mini Me Insights

Extra Joss Bar fuels performance one step at a time

Real Good milk now in flexible plastic pouch for reheat, microwave

Coca-Cola Malaysia provides healthier options

New Cornetto Rainbow Pop

Conor McGregor face of Monster in Malaysia

Carabao energy drink officially launched in China

Relive the past with Indomie Vintage

Battle of the taste: Goodday Green Tea vs Oishi Tea Matchi

Pascual Creamy Delight Greek Yogurt now with flavoured variants

Dutch Mill Delight focusing on home delivery, new 400ml pack

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