Indonesia’s ABC Kogen Dairy has recently unveiled A2 Cows 100% Fresh Milk (Plain, Coffee and Chocolate) in Indonesia. So far, no marketing has been launched to promote this new range of shelf stable dairy.
Rarity
A2 fresh milk is a rarity in most markets in Southeast Asia. The recent hype about A2 milk, a type of cow’s milk that is free from A1 beta-casein protein, has opened up new opportunities to market cow’s milk that contains only A2.
Normal cow’s milk has both A1 and A2 but A1 is the one that makes the milk harder to digest and can cause discomfort in people who are lactose intolerant, a common situation for most Southeast Asia consumers. However, drinking A2 cow’s milk, which comes with lactose, does not mean it is suitable for those who are lactose intolerant. However, a study in China shows A2 milk could bring relief to those who have unpleasantness related to protein.
It all comes down to marketing
Fear of A1 milk with some studies linking it to type-1 diabetes, heart disease and autism could drive consumers to A2 milk. However, a lot of these studies have not been fully substantiated. But it plays into people’s fear just like with gluten where prevention is often the route taken by consumers to ensure one’s health is safeguarded.
How A2 milk is marketed in India
In India, the market is now awash with A2 milk following the rediscovery of the benefits of A2 milk from Haryanvi, Sahiwal and Rathi breeds of indigenous (desi) cows. In a culture with strong veneration to cow, consumers are warming up to drinking milk from indigenous cows as they return to their roots and embrace locally sourced food.
Photo Credit: Amulonline
Amlaan adopts a more sensational approach to marketing its A2 milk by claiming drinking A2 milk will prevent kids from being exposed to type-1 diabetes.
Photo Credit: Amlaan Dairy
It would be interesting to see how ABC Kogen markets its A2 cows milk in Indonesia.
Singapore has become the 5th market globally for Pocari Sweat Ion Water, announced Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in a press release on 2 July 2018. The existing markets for Ion Water are Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea. The drink was first introduced in Japan in 2013 before going international in 2014. Pocari Sweat Ion Water is lower in sugar and is made without preservatives, artificial sweeteners & flavouring.
In Singapore, the 350ml Pocari Sweat Ion Water is certified as a Healthier Choice by the Singapore Health Promotion Board for its low sugar content.
Sweetened with monk fruit
Ion Water is sweetened with monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) or luo han guo (罗汉果), an ingredient that resonates with Singaporeans. Luo han guo is consumed as a traditional Chinese medicinal drink to cool down the body.
Therefore, it is natural to highlight luo han guo as an ingredient to Singapore audience, which we do not see this happening in Indonesia when it was first launched there.
Luo han guo has a shout out on pack. Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com
The use of luo han guo as a sweetener is a rarity in Southeast Asia despite its recognition as a sweetener and for its medicinal properties. The Milo RTD in Malaysia is a good example where luo han guo is used as a sweetener. Perhaps luo han guo can play a bigger role in view of the reformulations going on to address sugar taxes or comply with healthier choice regulations.
Coca-Cola Malaysia has a new pricing for its 330ml carbonated soft drinks in can following the government scrapping of the 6% GST in June 2018. The new price is RM 1.00, down from RM 1.20.
Similarly, the new price for the 1.25L pack (Sprite) is RM 2.35, down from RM 2.60 and Fanta 1.25L from RM 2.40 to RM 2.15 The prices are applicable at 99Speedmart, a key channel for the 330ml (can) and 1.25L (PET) pack sizes.
Also available is the 120ml Coke Stevia, seen at Tastefully Food & Beverage Expo in The Mines 2 in June 2018. This RM 1.00 drink is meant for provision stores or sundry shops.
Crush ice within seconds for a perfectly blended frozen smoothie with the Philips Viva Collection Blender
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – In Malaysia’s intense tropical heat, cold drinks are always in demand. From a young age, our children have enjoyed the cool relief that an iced drink offers on the hottest days. While they typically consume chilled cordial drinks or mass-produced juices, there are concerns about the sugar content of these drinks, with nutritionists recommending that children reduce consumption of such sweetened drinks[1].
To achieve a better balance of refreshing coldness and nutrition, a delicious frozen smoothie could just be the thing that hits the spot. You may be thinking that frozen smoothies are difficult to prepare at home, so you’ll undoubtedly be pleased to discover an all-in-one blender that efficiently combines all ingredients and crushes ice speedily to make the perfect frozen smoothie in no time at all, and you have complete control of all ingredients to boot.
“Food preparation can be a fun way for parents to bond with children, besides teaching them about nutrition and training them to be handy in the kitchen – definitely a useful life skill. Routine kitchen tasks such as blending ingredients can become an exciting adventure when you have an extraordinary tool to use. With the Philips Viva Collection Blender, you can get creative and have a lot of fun making healthy and refreshing smoothies. Its highly durable and shatterproof Duravita Tritan jar frees you from worry even if the kids are helping. There’s no fear of having to replace the blender jar if it is accidentally knocked over,” said Mr Muhammad Ali Jaleel, Country Manager of Philips Malaysia.
Crushing the hard stuff in a durable blending jar
The Philips Viva Collection Blender HR2157/91 is enhanced with blades that use ProBlend 5 technology, enabling you to crush ice 20% faster compared to other blenders. This means you no longer have to use tough, knuckle-cracking methods like hammering or pounding to break up blocks of ice. What’s better, this blender comes with the Duravita Tritan jar, made of copolyester that adds strength, versatility and flexibility to the jar. With this added element, the blending jar is shatterproof and will not smell or stain, leaving it easily washable and as good as new after every wash. It can also withstand the pressure and velocity of blending solid ingredients such as ice and hard types of vegetables or fruits.
What all this means is that you won’t need to blend your ingredients separately from the ice to make that frozen smoothie you’re craving. Having it all done in just one appliance speeds things up and brings you that much closer to the cool delight of your frozen smoothie. For example, if you’re making a frozen fruit smoothie with bananas and strawberries, all you need to do is add in those fruits, with a little milk, yoghurt and honey to taste, then blend it all together in the Philips Viva Collection Blender HR2157/91. Lastly, add in the ice which will be crushed in just a few seconds, and your frozen smoothie is ready to serve.
Start off your #PhilipsPerfectBlend adventure with Philips and transform your kitchen into a “playground” for learning while you and your child have fun times preparing meals in a safe, convenient and adventurous way!
Pricing and availability
The Philips Viva Collection Blender with the Duravita Tritan jar (HR2157/91) is available at a retail price of RM376 at the Philips Brand Store in Publika Shopping Gallery and Wangsa Walk Mall, both in Kuala Lumpur, and in Sutera Mall, Johor Bahru; at the Philips Experience Store in Menara Axis, Petaling Jaya; at retail partners and distributor stores nationwide, and online via the Philips Online Shop at http://www.shop.philips.com.my/.
Nestle Malaysia has unveiled a new Tropicana Lychee Yoghurt Flavour ice cream with yoghurt powder from France.
The choice of French yoghurt powder is interesting. France is often associated with premium indulgent ice creams eg Häagen-Dazs. French yoghurt is few and far between in Malaysia with most yohurt coming from Australia and the US. However, the ice cream needs the exotic, indulgent twist that only French, Greek or Bulgarian yogurt can deliver.
Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com
With the addition of French yoghurt powder, the new ice cream now fetches a price of RM 1.90 compared with RM 0.95 for the ordinary Tropicana Lime.
Perhaps the next step is French, Greek or even Bulgarian yoghurt ice cream?
Otsuka Pharmaceutical has released Oronamin C in Indonesia in June 2018, according to the company’s press release. This halal-certified carbonated nutritional beverage is fortified with vitamins, including vitamin C, B2, B3, B6 and honey. The drink is manufactured in Indonesia by Otsuka’s local affiliate PT Amerta Indah Otsuka.
Bring energy and smiles to Indonesians
According to Amerta Indah Otsuka president Director Yoshihiro Bando, “with the launch of ORONAMIN C, we aim to offer new health benefits and bring energy and smiles to people throughout Indonesia.” The energy claim comes from vitamin B.
Healthy Oishi with a Japanese theme
The TVC is likely shot in Japan featuring predominately Japanese faces to bring out the fun and highlight the drink’s Japanese origin. Indonesians generally have a positive image of Japan. Haruka Nakagawa, a former member of the Indonesian idol group JKT48, is the key celebrity and brand endorser in the commercial with a face easily recognisable by young Indonesians.
Oronamin C comes in a 120ml glass bottle with a recommended selling price of IDR 5,000 (USD 0.35).
Competing with YOU•C1000
Oronamin C competes with You.C1000, a vitamin lemon drink by PT Djojonegoro C-1000. The drink contains 1,000 mg of Vitamin C per bottle.
Oronamin at Alfamart in July 2018. Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.comOronamin C at Lotte Mart in July 2018. Photo Credit: Minimeinsights.com
The vitamin enriched drink segment has attracted the interest of companies like Kalbe Farma with the Xon-Ce drink and vitamin-enriched VitAmin Tea by OT Group in line with the general shift towards consuming higher value-added products.
Malaysia’s largest coffee festival moves to 1 Utama and is set to host 3 coffee championships including the inaugural Open Drip Bag Coffee Championship
July 12, 2018, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
visitors to Malaysia’s largest coffee festival will find bigger and better reasons to celebrate all things coffee this year. The festival which opened this morningis set to welcome more than 20,000 visitors over four days at the popular lifestyle and shopping destination 1 Utama Shopping Centre. Coffee enthusiasts will be treated to a captivating waft of percolating coffee from a massive range of 96 brands spread over 10,000 square feet of event floor space.
The Malaysia Coffee Fest 2018 at 1 Utama Shopping Centre
From now to this Sunday, fans of the dark beverage can expect to soak in a packed programme and the caffeine-fuelled festivities which will see the convergence of top-class baristas, local artisan coffee bean roasters, independent specialty coffee houses, coffee bean purveyors and suppliers, and coffee equipment distributors and manufacturers – to celebrate Malaysia’s vibrant coffee culture and scene. Visitors will find that they will be spoilt for choice at the array of coffee machines and accessories, coffee beans and tea leaves, and the wide selections of heady brews and concoctions.
To add a sweet spot at the festivities, the visitors will find a smorgasbord of local bakeries serving up distinctive pastries and treats which will pair up perfectly with the finest coffee and tea!
Avid spectators of coffee competitions will be amazed by the nimble and dexterous skills of contestants battling for top spots in three national coffee championships held live on stage. The champion of the inaugural Roastedly®Open Drip Bag Coffee Championship (Malaysia) will win a handsome cash prize of RM15,000.
1. Malaysia Open Latte Art Championship 2018 (MOLAC 2018) 13 & 15 July 2018
2. Malaysia Open Barista Championship 2018 (MOBC 2018) 12 & 15 July 2018
3. The inaugural Roastedly® Open Drip Bag Coffee Championship (Malaysia) 2018 on 14 July.
Everyone is a winner at the festival! Adding more fun, colour and flavour to the festival, the public will be delighted with the array of fun coffee-related activities and contests such as a Sure Win Dip where visitors will stand a chance to win a gift and the Lucky Draw Contest for a chance to win exclusive prizes.
Coffee lovers will take away more than wonderful prizes. They will learn that brewing good coffee is easy and achievable from Terence Tan, Singapore Drip Bag Coffee Champion 2018 and also from Coffeestry Box by Roastedly®. And, discover the simplicity of getting their coffee fix with quality fresh coffee conveniently ground, weighed and sealed in satchets and bundled together with disposable drip bags. The Barista Guild Asia (BGA)workshop series has a distinguished line up of coffee experts to speak on topics including “Journey from Bean to Cup”, “Brewing Made Easy”, “Espresso Yourself”, “Shaken, Not Stirred”, “Raising Your Standards of Coffee”, and “Coffee & Health”. Visitors who are looking forward to gaining knowledge and tips on opening and running a café business, will find “So, You Want To Open A Café?” insightful.
Crowd at Malaysia Coffee Fest 2018
With the increasing affluence and growth in Malaysia, largely due to urbanisation, the country is experiencing profound development in lifestyle and consumer behaviour. Demand for good specialty coffee, and the latest products and services, has created new opportunities for the coffee industry in Malaysia. The boom in coffee culture has resulted in the mushrooming of coffee houses and cafes across the country, from the capital to the cities in every state, where the dark strong brew has gained strong affinity especially among the young and the working professionals. Even as new and trendy specialist coffee players enter the booming local market, the long-standing and familiar favourites such as the humble coffee shops serving up the local ‘kopi’ continue in their appeal as part of the nation’s varied and vibrant coffee landscape.
This celebration on all things coffee is organised by CEMS Conference & Exhibition (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., the Malaysian arm of Conference and Exhibition Management Services, the creator of the highly successful Café Asia, Café Malaysia and Café Cambodia series, and co-hosted by Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA) and Café Owners Alliance, Malaysia (COA My).
Red Bull is set to educate consumers on the right way to consume energy drinks
The all-too-familiar feeling of lethargy is a common problem for many. Be it a spontaneous decision to dine out, a gathering with friends, or just a quick run – sometimes, we just can’t psych ourselves to move.
Worse still, we sometimes feel “brain dead” – an urban saying for mental exhaustion. In this case, we aren’t necessarily feeling the physical signs of exhaustion, such as achy muscles, but a mental coma and lack of motivation and energy to finish tasks or activities we love.
Question of the day: “The body knows no limit which the mind doesn’t.” We know this, but how do we prepare our brains to maximise our performance throughout the day?
“Malaysians work long hours and also have active after-work lifestyles. Consequently, their minds and bodies need sustained energy throughout the day. As the number one energy drink in Malaysia, it’s our responsibility to educate consumers on the most effective ways to optimise their energy levels, so they can always perform at their best.”
Jate Samathivathanachai,
Country Manager, Allexcel Trading |Red Bull Malaysia
Answer: Taurine, a premium ingredient found in popular energy drinks (a.k.a A Gold Can of Awesomeness), such as Red Bull, has the precise energy enhancing ability to benefit the mind and body. Other essential micro-ingredients, such as Vitamin Bs, play a key role in metabolic functions and improve mental cognitive ability. It breaks down carbohydrates, fats, and protein in the body to enhance our physical and mental abilities. Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, not only act as a fuel, but provide us with stronger mental clarity and increased concentration too.
Now, before you rush off to grab a chilled can, here are four ways in which we can optimise the benefits of energy drinks:
Four Ways to Optimise the Benefits of Energy Drinks:
Pre-activity consumption: It is best to consume energy drinks before a task for optimum results. This gives the body sufficient time to utilise the ingredients and convert them into our needed fuel.
Drink during work and study: Taurine can also help with stress regulation. It increases the performance of the heart and also promotes detoxification by binding with harmful substances and accelerating their excretion. The combined effects of Taurine help keep the mind focused and increase concentration during long, strenuous working hours.
Driving: Taurine posseses the unique ability to increase mental alertness, reaction speed, and concentration, all of which are critical for both short and long distrance driving.
During & after intense physical activity: Another function of Taurine is thermoregulation – a process that allows your body to maintain its temperature. This prevents the body’s temperature from getting too high or low, therefore avoiding unnecessary burnout during and after any physical workout.
When consumed the right way, energy drinks can be viewed as our co-commander in daily battles. When in doubt, open a can, take a sip, and energise yourself to charge ahead with confidence. More information on the benefits of energy drinks can be found on Red Bull’s website (http://redbull.com.my).
About Allexcel Trading Sdn. Bhd.
Allexcel Trading Sdn. Bhd. (“Allexcel”) is the brand representative and exclusive agent for Red Bull® Energy Drink and Warrior® Sparkling Lifestyle Drink in Malaysia. Allexcel launched Red Bull® in Malaysia in 1993 and the brand is currently the No. 1 energy drink in the country. Red Bull has proven to its consumers its product performance in maintaining alertness, endurance and enhancing performance – stimulating both mind and body. For more information, please visit www.redbull.com.my
Malaysia’s first online to offline (“O2O”) grocery sale to take place from 6th July to 8th July at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya. The event is organized by local online retailer Potboy Groceries in partnership with mobile payment platform, FavePay.
The O2O event is first of its kind in Malaysia where customers are welcomed to shop their groceries at great discounted prices without carrying around cash. The event will serve as also an education platform to Malaysian public as Malaysia pushes towards going cashless in the future. All purchases will be made through FavePay. Hand-hold experience will be conducted in the event to those that never performed an Online Shopping prior to this.
The constraint of Online Shopping is now bridged with physical experience of touch and taste of grocery products that can be experienced in this O2O event. Purchases can be made after physically experience of the products and instead of the traditional carrying the groceries to the car, Potboy groceries offer free delivery with no minimum order to the doorstep (currently only restricted to Klang Valley area).
40 consumer product brands take part in this O2O Event. Amongst the well known household brand present are Nestle, Coca-cola, MamyPoko, Milo, 100 plus, Jasmine, Brand’s, Maggi, Homesoy are bringing competitive prices products, great deals, free gifts offering a discount of up to 75%.
About Potboy Groceries: Potboy groceries is a homegrown Malaysian owned online groceries shopping platform that was founded in 2016 and is currently based in Klang Valley. Potboy groceries sells everyday groceries from known household brands on its platform www.potboy.com.my and delivers the groceries to the doorstep with no minimum order. Potboy Groceries insist to have its own delivery fleet in order to serve its community better. As part of caring for the environment, Potboy also uses recyclable boxes and bags to pack the groceries.
Massimo by The Italian Baker has launched Bunbino savoury buns comprising Malaysian favourites Sambal Ikan Bilis (anchovies sambal) and Kaya or coconut jam made from a base of coconut milk, eggs and sugar. Bunbino marks Massimo’s entry into the savoury bun segment.
The company, the second largest packaged bread company in Malaysia, is differentiating itself by including the fragrance of serai or lemongrass in the Sambal Ikan Bilis bun. As for the Kaya bun, it is said to be “home style,” a marketing move to improve the taste authenticity.
Both Bunbino Sambal Ikan Bilis & Serai and Home Style Kaya are available at convenience stores, supermarkets or hypermarkets for a price of RM 1.05.
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