Indonesia’s PT Panfila Indosari, the make of Ron88 bottle water, is using masculinity to promote its Perfect pH 9.5 alkaline mineral water. It is rather interesting to see the company using muscular man to promote its premium bottled water. Each 500ml bottle costs IDR 6,900 (USD 0.52). As a comparison, the ubiquitous Danone Aqua mineral water in 600ml costs only IDR 2,500.
The muscular man is none other than the guy that appears on Sido Muncul’s Kuku Bima powdered energy drink advertisement. Can the reader tell me who he is? – Ade Rai, Indonesia’s professional natural bodybuilder.
Image from Perfect website
The reason why this person is chosen to appear for Perfect water is because it fits the brand’s tagline of ‘Make Your Body Perfect.’ Endorsing the Men of Steel event is understandable but in a Hijab class is puzzling indeed!
Perfect water as one of the endorsers. Image from Perfect websitePerfect water features in Hijab class. Image from Perfect website
Groupe Danone’s Mizone has unveiled Mizone Activ, which goes back its roots as a sport enhancing drink. Mizone Activ’s narrower focus on sports is part of a realisation it needs to have a drink dedicated to all sporting activities be it working out in the gym or running up stairs.
So far, Danone has promoted the existing Mizone range as a drink suitable for all occasions with the goal of uplifting the spirit (bantu semangat OK lagi). This approach has fared well for Mizone with consumers drinking Mizone whenever they feel they need a boost.
As more Indonesians adopt a more active lifestyle and engaging in sporting activities, Mizone has to evolve to cater to their needs. The resulting product is Activ.
We see a similar trend happening in Malaysia/Singapore, a market dominated by 100Plus. The new Lucozade from Suntory has craved a niche for itself as a drink with a strong focus on enhancing hydration and fuels performance. Lucozade does not market itself for Raya or Chinese Year New. What Lucozade does is focus solely on sports.
With Mizone Activ, Danone can now ensure Mizone is relevant to the sports community and has a strong foundation to grow Mizone Activ as a dedicated sports drink.
Energy drinks in Malaysia and China are embracing the natural trend.
Revive Plant-based Energy Drink
In China, Uni-President has released its first energy drink 唤醒 Huan Xing and positioning it as a plant-based energy drink (植物能量饮料). The key ingredients are Elder Flower (接骨木花) from Austria, green coffee (绿咖啡) from Brazil, ginseng (人参) from China and Maca (玛咖) from Peru. Each 286ml can contains 30g of caffeine, 0.8g of Maca powder and 0.4g of ginseng.
Ingredients from around the world
The choice of green and the word ‘Nature Lab’ on the closure sends out a strong ‘natural’ message for the new product.
Revive is a premium product with a price tag of RMB 19.9 (USD 3). As a comparison, a can of Red Bull (250ml) is only selling for RMB 5.8.
Vitamin C and Mangosteen Energy Drink
In Malaysia, Drive M7 energy drink has introduced two new variants – Hyper Lemon and Exotic Mangosteen.
Hyper Lemon contains 1,000mg of vitamin C along with vitamin B group (B2, B3 and B6). It also has sodium to maintain fluid balance in the body.
With chlorophyll
Hyper Mangosteen is less sweet and has the mangosteen flavour. In addition to the mangosteen flavour, the energy drink contains chlorophyll to provide the benefits as an antioxidants.
The two Drive M7 drinks contain D-gluconolactone, taurine, inositol and caffeine.
Sido Muncul’s natural energy powdered drink
Indonesia’s Sido Muncul, known for its traditional Indonesian herbal drink jamu has announced the release of KukuBima Ener-G! Herbal dan Tolak Linu Mint on 17 June 2016.
KukuBima Ener-G! Herbal comes in the form of a sachet. The company claimed it is the first herbal energy drink. KukuBima Ener-G! contains green coffee, ginseng, royal jelly, sugar and stevia. Tolak Linu is a a liquid herbal medicine for relieve of stiff and painful joints.
Takeaway
Maca is a trending ingredient in China. In Malaysia, the awareness about maca is low to non-existent. In all the three markets, ginseng are widely known for its energy boosting and medicinal properties. The different taste profile and consumer behaviour of the three markets show how Revive, Drive M7 and KukuBima are adapting to what consumers think are natural in the two markets.
Kratingdaeng Pro, a new carbonated energy drink in can, has been launched by in Indonesia by PT Asiasejahtera Perdana Pharmaceutical on 27 May 2016. The company is the distributor of Thailand’s Red Bull, which has over 70% share of the energy drinks market in bottle, according to an article in SWA Magazine in 2013.
The Kratingdaeng energy drink was initially aimed at consumers aged 20 and above in the lower B and C1 social economic status such as labourers. The brand has been working hard to broaden its appeal to include younger consumers aged 15 and above and from a higher social economic status.
The Kratingdaeng Power Dance is one of the activities targeting at young consumers.
The new Kratingdaeng Pro features the 22-year-old actor Stefan William as the brand ambassador. The TVC shows images of young biker, boxer, athlete, tennis player and basketball player, both male and female engaging in competitive sporting activities with the tagline ‘The Real Energy Drink.’ The TVC and the choice of carbonate are made to reinforce the concept Kratingdaeng Pro is for young consumers.
Each 240ml can is priced at IDR 9,800 (USD 0.74) at Alfamart.
The fasting month of Ramadan has arrived (5 June to 5 July 2016) with Muslims undergoing a one-month fasting before celebrating Eid al-Fitr. Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr (also known as Lebaran/Idul Fitri in Indonesia and Hari Raya in Malaysia) mark an important sales period for FMCG manufacturers and retailers. This is also a time to launch new products/new festive packaging and campaigns.
Three-day sales promo by Indonesia’s Transmart Carrefour during RamadanLimited-edition 2016 Hari Raya Red Bull cans for Malaysia showint ‘balik kampung’ or going back hometown motifs.
Apart from limited-edition pack featuring Eid al-Fitr motifs, there are far fewer new products launched featuring popular ingredients consumed during Ramadan/Eid al-Fitr.
One such exception is the new Nafoura Kurma Water by Indonesia’s PT Kieran Bahari Aksara. The company claims this is the first date water in the country.
From Nafoura Kurma Water Facebook
Dates are very popular during Ramadan and are consumed when breaking fast. The fruits are rich source of fibre, potassium and calcium. The drink claims to provide the benefits equivalent to consuming three dates without having to consume the actual fruits.
PT Kieran Bahari Aksara aims to sell 1 million bottles a month. Each bottle comes with a retail price of IDR 7,000 (USD 0.52). The Nafoura Kurma Water is available through Indomaret and other local stores initially in Java island mainly in the populous Jabodetabek region. In 2017, distribution will expand to Sumatera, Bali and Sulawesi.
In Malaysia, there are already several ready-to-drink date juices in the market including Ener Al Kurma Jus Kurma Ajwa primarily sold through jamu outlets or direct sales. Most of the dates juices are in the cordial format.
Ener Al Kurma Jus Kurma Ajwa in Malaysia
As date juice is an acquire taste, rather than date juice become a trend, what I would see is the growing use of dates in food in the Muslim world going forward. This comes as dates together with honey, goat’s milk, black cumin and olives form part of the prophetic diet prescribed for good health.
How do you encourage consumers to drink more water? Show them the facts. This is what Spritzer is doing on the packaging of its mineral water.
The message covers health (‘2.5 litres of water per day to maintain optimum health), beauty (‘water naturally moisturises skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance’) and pregnant women (‘during pregnancy and lactation, fluid requirements increase and women are encouraged to drink more water to help prevent constipation’).
Water is also promoted to help improve mental performance – ‘thirsty signals dehydration signs of which include a dry mouth, headache, fatigue, decreased urine volume and reduced mental performance’.
These carefully crafted messages thus give consumers real reasons to drink more water.
The Malaysian functional drink scene has now been enriched with Taurus Energy Drink. Taurus is available at 7-Eleven. Most consumers are not aware Taurus has been in the market since 2015. Having 7-Eleven as a partner is a good choice as the convenience store chain has a wide network of stores totaling 1,994 at the end of December 2015. Energy drinks are commonly bought at petrol marts and convenience stores.
Apart from Malaysia, ZMW International, the company behind the Taurus brand, has exported Taurus to Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vietnam and Bangladesh. In Malaysia, Taurus’ marketing activities include participating in the Purple League badminton tournament, the official energy drink of Rock The World Festival 2015 and as a sponsor of KartMania 2016.
The can blue-red colour scheme does look like the Red Bull (European version), doesn’t it?
Recharge Vitamin C Drink
The next drink that came into my attention lately is Recharge Vitamin C drink from Total Recharge Sdn Bhd. The 250ml drink in can packaging contains 1,000mg of vitamin C and electrolytes. It retails at Giant Supermarket for RM 2.85.
The closest competitor in the vitamin C drink space is You-C1000. The 140ml You-C1000 in glass bottle has 1,000mg of vitamin C and comes with a price tag of RM 2.94.
Nutrition wise, Recharge emerged as the winner with the lowest energy, sugar, sodium and carbohydrate per serving while having the same amount of vitamin C at 1,000mg.
With Muslims now entering their one-month fasting, Sky Thomas Food Industries, the maker of MyKuali, gave us a little surprise for Ramadan. The new MeeKuali by MyKuali Spices Rice Vermicelli Soup (Beef Flavour) or in Malay Bihun Sup Rempah Perisa Daging was recently spotted at Giant Supermarket.
Star anise and cinnamon
The new product is inspired by sup daging/tulang at the ubiquitous mamak stalls in Malaysia. Mamak restaurants are operated by Indian Muslims serving local favourites like roti canai and teh tarik.
The taste of MeeKuali is geared towards the Malay with the use of local spices like star anise, tumeric and cinnamon. To make it more appealing to Malay consumers, the packaging features the use of Jawi or Arabic script, which is not found in the other MyKuali range where Chinese characters are on the pack. It can be surmised that the new noodle is aimed largely at the Malay market. It is important to reach out to Malay consumers as they have the biggest share of the population at over 50%. The new MeeKuali will build into the success of MyKuali among the local Chinese who represent about 22% of the population.
The noodle comes in a pack of four x 80g selling at a promotional price of RM 5.79 at Giant. The normal price is RM 5.99. MeeKuali The MyKuali Spices Rice Vermicelli Soup (Beef Flavour) appears cheaper (on face value) compared to the flagship MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle RM 6.99 (4 packs x 110g).
Upcoming Product – Mi Soto Perisa Ayam
A search on MeeKuali on the Malaysian Halal authority website shows Mi Soto Perisa Ayam (Soto Noodle Chicken Flavour) together with three other in the MeeKuali range have received the halal certification. Mini Me Insights will be keeping readers posted once soto noodle appears on the market.
PepsiCo’s Revive isotonic drink was given a new makeover new a new logo and formulation. The new logo was first featured in new 7UP Revive for India. Noticed the new font for Revive, which has more distinctive edges, making the brand more masculine.
Revive IndiaRevive Malaysia
PepsiCo launched 7UP Revive in April 2016 and positioning it as a ‘hydrotonic’ drink with vitamins and electrolytes for hydration. ‘Hydrotonic’ is short for hydration and isotonic.
In Vietnam, the new logo and the new formulation i-HYDRA8 System debuted in May 2016. The pack design is now more colourful and vibrant to better suit the preference of young consumers.
In Malaysia, the new Revive made its appearance in May 2016 in conjunction with the new Pepsi Emoji bottle campaign. The new Revive comes in a smaller 390ml PET bottle with an affordable price of just RM 0.99.
Photo taken at 99Speedmart
It features the same i-HYDRA8 system with the tagline ‘Cool the Core’ for fast hydration. The RM 0.99 price makes Revive extremely competitive in price compared with market leader 100Plus, which sells in a standard 500ml pack. However, the new Revive is only available in at few retail chains such as 99Speedmart, which makes it rather out of reach to most consumers. I bet most consumers are not aware of about the new Revive.
In Malaysia, there is no marketing for the new Revive for now and the official Facebook page does not even mention about the new product. The price and the small bottle does make it very competitive. Pretty soon, F&N 100Plus will likely to come up with a slimmer pack with a similar price in the near future.
Coconut water rules at Thaifex – World of Food Asia 2016. Here is a summary of the new product trends for coconut water:
Unique Flavours
Flavoured coconut milk moves beyond the original taste to make the category relevant to more consumers looking for something refreshing yet tasty. Thai coconut water producers tap into native fruits and all time favourites to deliver new exotic tastes. The flavours for coconut water and coconut milk at Thaifex 2016 include:
Durian (coconut milk)
Passionfruit
Mangosteen
Bael
Lychee
Cocao
Melon
Banana
Almond
Rose
Mango
Chocolate
Matcha
Mocha (coconut milk)
Thai lime
Watermelon
Aloe vera
Taste Nirvana also showcased Real Coconut Water with Thai Chili, which was launched in 2013.
UFC Refresh Thai Lime, Matcha Green Tea and Watermelon
HerbSign (www.herbsign.com) showcased a coconut water made from fresh young coconut and bael (buddha’s fruit). This product is available in the US since 2015.
Palida’s Jeri Ann, know for its beautiful Thai style coffee, unveiled its range of flavoured coconut drinks.
Organic and/or Never from Concentrate
Wild Coco is made from 100% Nam Hom fragrant coconut water and is certified as organic by the USDA.
Fruit Kist coconut water is never from concentrate. Produced in Vietnam for Thailand’s F&V Company Limited.
HPP Coconut Water
US-based Harmless Harvest, which is one of the first to use high pressure processing (HPP) to treat its coconut water, is contemplating of moving away from HPP. From April 2016, it will be using a new proprietary filtration system with no thermal treatment. This comes after the USFDA warned the company it was not doing enough to ensure the safety of its coconut water.
Despite Harmless Harvest, one of the biggest HPP coconut water producer turning away from HPP, several HPP coconut water products were still seen at Thaifex 2016.
All Coco not treated with heat and chemical (left) from Allcoco Ltd and Taste Nirvana Cold Pressed Organic Coconut Water (right)
No HPP
Never More than 28 Days from Thailand’s Organic and Natural Co., Ltd. is a company producing 100% organic Nam Hom coconut water certified by the USDA. The coconut water is never pasteurised, never heat treated and no HPP.
The coconut are harvested by the company’s fair-trade farmers within 20 to 28 days as that is the best harvesting period for Ham Hom coconuts. According to the company:
Coconuts which are cultivated before 20 days will have less meat and the water will be sour.
▪ Coconuts which are cultivated after 28 days will have plenty of meat but the water will be tasteless.
The coconut water is processed within 48 hours of leaving the trees. They are then frozen and can last for 2 years. Once defrost, it can last for only 15 days and must be consumed within 1 day of opening.
Sparkling Coconut Water as Mocktail
Blanc Coco, a 100% sparkling coconut water, is turned into a mocktail as new way to enjoy sparkling coconut water. Blanc Coco was mentioned as SIAL Innovation China 2016 Selection and Best New Non-Alcoholic Beverage at Gulfood Awards Finalist.
Blanc Coco and mocktail
Tipco has turned coconut water into a summer hit with its limited-edition season’s best Cocotini.
Instant coconut water
India’s Habhit Wellness Pvt Ltd introduced instant coconut water powder in sachet. The instant coconut water in sachet was a stand out. This concept is not new as US-based Maxim / Ajmera Inc has already introduced something similar in 2011 under the Reva brand.
Given the right price, coconut water in sachet might work in India.
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