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.
In Malaysia, drinks are slowly embracing oat to deliver wholesome goodness to expand the usage occasion to in-between meals and breakfast.
A good example is Nestle Milo Nutri G, launched in Malaysia in early 2015. It contains four whole grains – oats, barley, brown rice and wheat targeting young adults who do not have the time to eat regular meal.
Other regional examples
In the Philippines, Taiwan and China, PepsiCo’s Quaker is offering the Oat Dairy Drink targeting at all occasions including breakfast, supper and afternoon tea (China) and breakfast (Philippines).
From left to right – China, Taiwan and the Philippines
Other RTD oat-based drinks in the Philippines include Oishi Oaties Milk (launched in 2013) and Vitamax Cereal Milk, which is also available in Indonesia. Both drinks are for consumers on-the-go.
New Camelli Soya Oat Milk
In Malaysia, the latest to join the oat-based drink category is Vegeta Manufacturing’s Camelli Soya Oat Milk and Soya Oat Fibre. Both are in 320ml can. The Soya Oat Milk contains water, sugar, soya bean, instant oat cereal and permitted food flavouring.
As with Nestle Milo Nutri G, the Camelli Soya Oat Milk oat is in liquid form, which means you won’t get to the mouthfeel taste of oat.
Quaker Good Start overall winner
Comparing Camelli Soya Oat Milk with other similar oat-based beverages in the region, one does find the new drink has the highest sugar content, while Quaker has the lowest. In terms of dietary fibre, Milk from Indonesia has the highest at 3.5g per 100ml serving.
Overall, Milko has the highest energy carbohydrate and fat but also the highest dietary fibre. Quaker Good Start has the best of both worlds and therefore receives the Mini Me 1st Prize.
MyKuali has introduced the cup noodle format in three flavours:
1. Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle
2. Penang White Curry Noodle
3. Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle
As usual, Singapore was chosen for the launch like what they did with the bowl format. The new cup noodles are available at Sheng Siong.
When will the cup format arrive in Malaysia? According to my conversation with Sky Thomas Food Industries at Thaifex 2016, the cup format will be launched in Malaysia through 7-Eleven and petrol marts soon. One more thing, according to the MyKuali poster at Thaifex 2016, the cup noodles are made with ‘shabu noodles’.
Fonterra has recently launched Anelene MoveMax in Malaysia. The range covers both adult powdered milk and yoghurt. MoveMax contains collagen for joints, the first for adult milk powder, calcium for bone and protein for muscle. The three essential ingredients form the backbone of MoveMax with the tagline ‘Move as Young as You Feel Inside.’
Feeling Young Again
Anlene MoveMax is all about movement and feeling young again with the freedom to move. The new Anlene MoveMax TVC encapsulates it all showing a middle-aged woman dancing in an arcade.
As a comparison, the previous Anlene BoneMax formulation focuses on first having a strong bone before you can have the freedom to move. The key back then was to get people out of their sedentary life and move.
Under the new campaign, the previous Anlene Move – Move More, Live More campaign is now being replaced with Anlene Move Young. Feeling young is what most consumers would want to achieve and this new positioning new clearly associates Anlene with live young and not just bone health.
Permanis has once again taken ownership of World Milk Day (1 June) for Goodday Milk like what it did for Wonda Coffee with the International Coffee Day (1 October). The company full maximised the print ad, radio, online and TV for its World Milk Day marketing.
In English and vernacular newspapers
Several promotions were launched by Goodday in conjunction with World Milk Day. These promotions include charity (donating to underprivileged children in partnership with 11street.my), freebies (buy two 250ml and get one free at Shell) and attractive offers (buy two 250ml for RM2 at MyNews.com).
Image from Goodday Facebook pageImage from Goodday Facebook page
Permanis’ Etika will also be distributing 30,000 Goodday Milk packs to the public in the Klang Valley until 5 June 2016. These milk will be distributed by Etika staff, milkmen and the brand’s cow mascot Dee Dee.
‘Milk men’
Dutch Lady’s World Milk Day – surprise for loved ones
Image from Dutch Lady Facebook page
Dutch Lady’s World Milk Day does not have the same media exposure as Goodday. However, it does have one thing that is unique in line with the theme of sharing the goodness of milk with your beloved. The brand provides personalised delivery of a gift of health (milk) to the loved ones as a surprise.
Apart from the warm surprise, Dutch Lady also did the same with Goodday with the buy one 200ml UHT milk, get one free promotion at Shell and buy two 200ml UHT milk for RM 3.00 at Petronas as well as buy one 200ml UHT for RM 1.30 at 7-Eleven.
In 2015, Dutch Lady did not carry out marketing for World Milk Day. It can be surmised that in 2016, Dutch Lady was reacting to Goodday’s aggressive World Milk Day marketing and had to come up with something as a response.
Philippines Alaska Milk – Milk Run
In the Philippines, Alaska Milk, owned by FrieslandCampina, the same parent of Dutch Lady, will be celebrating World Milk Day with the Alaska Milk Day family run on 11 June 2016 in four locations – Metro Manila, Davao, Naga and Cebu.
Image from Alaska Milk Facebook page
The dairy company is imparting the message of milk’s goodness for natural muscle recovery & rehydration after a good workout with milk as the key to a healthy lifestyle.
Dutchmill – muted celebration in Thailand
In Thailand, World Milk Day is not as big as in Malaysia and the Philippines. Dutch Mill’s World Milk Day promotion is all about giving away bags featuring the cow mascot and Fuji Instax Share as part of a photo contest for Dutch Milk 4-in-1.
In China, 1 June is Children’s Day. Therefore, there is no celebration of World’s Milk Day.
Key takeaways
It takes two to tango. We will be seeing a lot more World Milk Day marketing in Malaysia as both Goodday and Dutch Lady are vying to outperform each other. In the Philippines, the Alaska Milk run has become an annual event and this will be forever associated with World Milk Day.
In early May 2016, the global media reported Beyonce has invested in the watermelon juice company WTRMLN WTR. This gives the US-based start-up cold-pressed juice maker and watermelon juice as a whole free publicity.
Celebrity investors have been instrumental in the ride to fame for the coconut water company Vita Coco. Madonna invested in the company in 2009 followed by Rihanna. Would Beyonce’s investment in WTRMLN WTR do the same trick for watermelon juice?
Watermelon juice is available in the foodservice channel in freshly prepared form. But, it is seldom available in packaged format. Given the right processing methodology such as cold-press and the right taste/price, watermelon would probably be another hit in the making.
Watermelon juice at Thaifex 2016
Mini Me Insights went to Thailand last week for Thaifex 2016. Apart from the ubiquitous coconut water/coconut milk (to be reported in another post), several manufacturers also featured their watermelon juices, a sign that packaged watermelon juice is slowly gaining traction in this Southeast Asian country.
Malee showcased its 100% Watermelon Juice Mixed Tomato Juice.
Malee Watermelon & Tomato Juice
Andaman Beverage Co., Ltd. featured its Maya’s Watermelon Juice Nectar. The company claims it is one of the few that have successfully put watermelon juice in can.
Maya Watermelon Juice in can
Hues Oh So Refreshing Watermelon Juice is made using zero-heat extraction technology and is 100% natural.
Hues Oh So Refreshing Watermelon Juice – 300ml and other range
Siam Original Food Co., Ltd. introduced its Nature Taste Concentrated Watermelon Juice with each sachet containing half a watermelon. The juice does not contain preservatives, artificial colours and sugar.
Do you think watermelon juice will become the next hit in the juice category?
Cerebos Malaysia launched Ca’ya, a functional beverage containing Habbatus Sauda and ginseng, in April 2016. The company, known for its Brand’s Essence of Chicken, has existing products catering to all walks of life (Brand’s Essence of Chicken), female (Innershine) and students (AlphaMynd) but not for men.
Ca’ya fills the gap as a drink targeting men, specifically Malay Muslims, thanks to the use of Habbatus Sauda or black seed. The zero-caffeine drink helps anti-fatigue. It is halal-certified and is free from fat. Habbatus Sauda can be found in products ranging from beverage to shampoo designed to appeal to Muslim consumers. Black seed was once described by Prophet Muhammad as an ingredient that can heal every disease except death. This ensures the benefits of black seed are widely known in the Muslim world.
In Malaysia, Tongkat Ali is an ingredient commonly used in men’s health products (Nu Prep) to improve libido and combat fatigue. It is interesting to see Brand’s opting for Habbatus Sauda instead of the more popular Tongkat Ali for Ca’ya.
Gen U, a similar product by Brand’s for Thailand and Singapore, uses American ginseng extract, Asian ginseng extract and Vitamin Bs. However, Gen U’s key functional benefits are more for supporting clear thinking and cognitive performance.
Singapore marketThailand market
The focus for the Malaysian market is energy (bertenaga). Ca’ya is shown to help you as a father, a husband and an employee to overcome all obstacles and yet remain energetic throughout the day.
Bertenaga resonates well in a male dominating society like Malaysia. The patriarchal Malaysian culture means men have heavy burden on their shoulder. Staying on top of the game is important for Malaysian male consumers to deal with life challenges. Brand’s has therefore found the right positioning for its new Ca’ya drink.
Singapore, June 8, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - OTS Holdings Limited ("OTS Holdings" or the "Company", and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"), a...
