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| RT-Mart online shop – 30 April 2015 |
Malaysia’s MyKuali Penang White Curry instant noodle has topped the chart on Taiwan’s RT-Mart online store. RT-Mart is one of the top three hypermarket chains in Taiwan. Behind MyKuali is Nongshim ramyun and Vedan instant noodle. MyKuali has probably received a boost from the recent ranking by The Ramen Rater and the list was well publicised by local Taiwan media.
Rumours have been circulating on plans by Jiaduobao to introduce a new gold can to replace its iconic red can. Now, it has become a reality. The herbal tea maker has finally introduced a gold can to celebrate the continued success of the brand as a market leader in the herbal tea category in 2014. Jiaduobao has a 62.1% share in the herbal tea category in China in 2014, according to ACNielsen.
The only reason why Jiaduobao wants to change to the gold can is to set things right. After being forced by the Wanglaoji brand owner to change the erstwhile name to Jiaduobao and attempting to stop Jiaduobao to use the red can through the legal approach, it is only natural for Jiaduobao to think of something else. According to Jiaduobao, the new gold can will set it apart from Wanglaoji, which is currently owned by Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group.
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| Jiaduobao (left) and Wanglaoji (right) |
The banner says, “if you are afraid of internal heat, drink the gold can Jiaduobao”. “It comes with the original formulation and naturally more people will choose to drink it”. 
See more:
Jinmailang Gold Walnut – Tuhao?
CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa has been rated as the fourth best instant noodles of all time in 2015 by The Ramen Rater (Hans Lienesch). CarJEN joins three MyKuali noodles and one Mamee noodle – MyKuali Penang Red Tom Yum Goong Noodle (#1), MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle (New Improved Taste (#2), Mamee Chef Gold Recipe Mi Kari Seribu Rasa (#6) and MyKuali Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodle (New Improved Taste) (#7) to make it a successful year for Malaysian instant noodles, taking 5/10 in the top 10 list.
The recognition for CarJEN is a shot in the arm for a brand, which is still not widely known in the country. CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa is still not available in the mainstream retailers even though it can be found thousand of miles away in Taipei. But closer to home, the author has not seen this product in Kuala Lumpur/Selangor. According to the CarJEN facebook site, it appears CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa is now available in Johor and Pahang. The company is currently doing a national roadshow.
For CarJEN, now is a good time to negotiate with key retailers. For retailers, CarJEN Nyonya Curry Laksa can be a product you can consider putting on shelves.
Something incredible happened on Monday, 20 December 2015. The front page of most major dailies including The Star and Harian Metro was splashed with the picture of the new Mountain Dew Neon. The print advertisement marked the official launch of the Mountain Dew Neon, which features a fluorescent shade of green.
To coincide with the packaging revamp, Permanis Sandilands did something truly amazing. The company inserted a life size Mountain Dew Neon on the front page of The Star, the most popular English daily in the country. It is not an ordinary bottle with a plastic texture but one that glows with the touch of a button.
In a category that is losing market share, the Mountain Dew franchise is a bright light in the carbonated soft drinks segment. In fact, Mountain Dew is the fastest growing carbonated drink in Malaysia with a double digit year-on-year growth, according to Permanis Sandilands. The latest neon bottle does help to reinforce the Mountain Dew image among its core teen and young male consumer market as one that is active and always pushing beyond the limits.
Character drink has a new player in China following the introduction of Uni-President China’s Classmate Xiaoming 小茗同學. The tea drink is made using the cold brewed technology to ensure the RTD tea is not bitter, suitable for young consumers. The cap bottle brings back childhood memories and can be used as a toy. The 480ml beverage comes in four flavours including lemon red tea, green tea and jasmine tea.
The Weibo site has several interesting images that strike a chord with young consumers.
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| Everyone is drinking cold brewed tea except those with period. There is only one taste that cold brewed tea knows. |
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| I sleep soundly not because I have a big heart but because I only drink cold brewed tea. |
The iconic 100 Plus logo has been given a facelift and it is now beyond recognition. The number 100 is now filled with blue colour with a white background and the green, red and blue colour stripes are now placed next to the number 100.
The 325ml can is now in a taller format, a format commonly used by RTD coffee and energy drink.
When placed next to Revive, the new 100 Plus logo does stand out. But the old design still looks more prominent compared with the new 100 Plus logo.
It will take time for consumers to get used to the new logo. Once the old logo is gone, there will be nothing to compare and consumers will automatically have to accept the new 100 Plus logo for better or worse.
As of May 2016, 100 Plus has decided to retain its existing logo.
F-Mart, a new chain of premium convenient stores from UAE-based Families Group, plans to open four convenience stores in Malaysia in April 2015. The plan is to have 100 outlets in the coming three years. Each store will have 60% products sourced from Malaysia and 40% from around the world. F-Mart will be a halal convenience store. However, it will not the first halal convenience store chain in Malaysia but the second. The first belongs to Circle K, which is also the first halal Circle K in the world. As of 1 February 2016, there were 15 Circle K outlets in the country.
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| Circle K in Malaysia with an Arabic signage |
Personally, I think halal convenience store has potential in Malaysia especially in Malay dominant areas where the products will be geared towards the Muslim market. In the example of Circle K, the store has a prominent Arabic signage next to the Circle K logo to denote it is a Muslim-friendly store. Whether F-Mart or Circle K can succeed in a marketplace dominated by 7-Eleven is still a question but their presence in the market shows halal is becoming an important business consideration in line with changing consumer lifestyle of Malay consumers.
As of 10 April 2015, 39 companies have pledged to absorb the 6% GST and maintain their current product prices, said Hasan Malek, domestic trade minister.
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| Milo comes with 100g free volume |
Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd will pass on tax savings to retailers but added that retailers are the ones that set the final prices for consumers. The company has launched the ‘Lebih Nilai, Lagi Hebat’ (More Goodness, More Value) campaign to keep its products competitively priced in the post-GST environment.
Visual cues are important to demonstrate the value for money proposition. Many brands including Nestle and Mondelez have added extra volume for selected items following the implementation of the GST on 1 April 2015. I have touched on this topic in an earlier posting on instant noodle. Here are other examples.
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| Chipsmore offering extra 25% volume |
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| Twisties free one pack inside |
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| Nescafe free 3 sticks |
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| Breeze extra 15% volume |
Even though the prices have increased, at least consumers find comfort knowing very well their favourite product has larger volume at least for now. In a post-GST environment, value for money will become an important theme and FCMG companies can make full use of this by launching smaller pack or family pack to create better value perception.
We have seen the power of the top ten list produced by The Ramen Rater, a US-based instant noodle reviewer, in popularising certain brands of instant noodles. Honestly, I believe the Ramen Rater, Hans Lienesch, strives to be as independent as possible and makes each review based solely on his taste buds.
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| An interview with the Ramen Rater by Luckypeach.com |
No doubt the Ramen Rater does have a taste of what’s best and what’s not but can we based our selection on the taste bud of the Ramen Rater? Are there other independent reviewers or sites that can help us to evaluate what is the best tasting instant noodle other than the Ramen Rater?
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Instant noodle companies are sending boxful of new products to the Ramen Rater hoping their products will make it to one of the the top ten lists. They do run the risk of appearing on the bottom ten lists. A win means the product is fancied by the Ramen Rater because he likes it. Does it mean others will like it too?
When Mamee Double-Decker added The Ramen Rater endorsement on the packaging of Mamee Chef Perisa Laksa Kari (Curry Laksa Flavour), this makes the company one of the few that overtly put The Ramen Rater on the pack. Does such marketing violate the law and is the top 10 list a representation of mass opinion? These are some of the questions we need to ponder.
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Here is The Ramen Rater’s personal reply to my question:
The recent Malaysia International Halal Showcase MIHAS 2015 saw total sales of RM 443.16 million (USD 122.17 million) through its incoming buying mission. The four-day event on 1-4 April 2015 also witnessed the participation of at least 300 companies.
Here is a brief overview of what’s hot at MIHAS 2015.
Coconut Water
Linaco and Kara Marketing (M) showcased their respective Cowa and Karta coconut water. Apparently, Linaco is one of the eight coconut water suppliers to US-based Vita Coco. Both Cowa and Karta coconut water is sourced from Indonesia. Linaco is tapping into the China market and has sent shipments to China and is working to get an online presence there. According to Linaco, there is a market for coconut water in Malaysia as Malaysians grow up drinking fresh coconut water but the challenge is getting them to drink packaged coconut water. The company is promoting coconut water as a hydrating drink in gyms and other sports venues.
Energy Drink
XL Energy Drink from Poland is looking for exclusive distributors in Southeast Asia including for Malaysia and Indonesia.
Energy Bars
See the following posts for more information:
DASTO energy bar wins Gulfood Award, using local ingredients to help manage weight
Moolabar energy bar gets a more exciting look
Instant Noodle:
See the following post for more information:
Penang White Curry now with ramen version.
Also available at the Vit’s booth were Vit’s Fresh Ramen and Fresh Udon.
Sauces and Seasonings:
This year’s MIHAS saw the participation of South African sauces makers including HQ Foods, Fynbos Fine Foods and All Joy. For local players, Delifea Pasta Sauce with Italian mix herb is interesting. The packaging looks great but its availability is only limited to Presto Supermarket, Sahara Supermarket, highway rest and service areas and in several other locations.
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| Delifea halal pasta sauce |
Chilled food
Froyo frozen yogurt by Snogurt was featured at the fair. Froyo is low in fat, high in calcium, low in calories and rich in probiotics. The price was RM 4.90 per cup.
Ready-to-eat
D’Era Pouch Industries Sdn Bhd revealed Malaysia’s first sardine in a pouch. The range includes sardine in tomato sauce and sardine in chilli tomato sauce. Apart from sardines, the company also has tomato puree in a pouch, baked beans, Mamak chicken curry and other ready-to-eat food such as Nyonya chicken curry and fish sambal.
Snack
The Poco gourmet popcorn will be introduced into the market in 2015.
Beverage
The Sun Blast Hello Kitty and Barney juices by Mega Success Marketing Sdn Bhd were showcased at the exhibition. The two products are already in supermarkets. The company has other products that have not been launched including Sun Blast Recharge and Rehydrate sports drink in pouch, Sun Blast Organic juice in pouch and Sun Blast 100% pure juice in 1L carton.
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| New isotonic drink from Mofaz and is available at Circle K Malaysia |
Cocosong Food Industries Sdn Bhd showcased their new Magic Pot drink, which comprises three products Apple and Pear Fruit Drink with Vitamins (Energy Supply), Mixed Berries Fruit Drink with Grape Seed Extract (Anti-Aging) and Soursop and Mangosteen Fruit Drink with Dietary Fiber (Weight Management). The interesting thing about Magic Pot is the drink packaging contains some Korean characters on the packaging to make it as if it comes from Korea.
Felda Wellness Corporation will be introducing Vita 500, a South Korean vitamin drink, in Malaysia. Vita 500 is manufactured by Kwangdong Pharm Co., Ltd.
Tritonic isotonic drink by Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd, a Sabah-based company, saw an appearance at MIHAS. This isotonic drink is only available in East Malaysia.
Dairy
Camel milk-based milk powder, flavoured milk and coffee from the Middle East were part of the exhibition.Camel milk does have a potential in Malaysia as many Muslims do believe in the high nutritional value of camel milk. The key problem is price and the challenge is to reduce the price so that more people can afford to consume it.
That’s all from this year’s MIHAS.
