43
NOV 2017 FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
SPECIAL
FOCUS
ASEAN
• Market Overview
Thecomparativestudy inAsiancitiesonpeople in their50sshows
a clear difference among peoplewith regards to their aspiration for
beingor looking young. Their senseof beauty isalsoquitedifferent.
While demands for functional foods and supplement are
increasingacross theASEAN region,consumersarebecomingmore
wary about the product claims. Consistent regulations, approval
procedure,andguidelines forscientificallyevidencedhealth/functional
claims are called for across the region.
• Consumer Trends
InASEAN, high sugar intake and increasing rate of obesity and
diabeteshavebeenabig issue. SomeASEAN countrieshavebeen
deliberatingon theplanof imposingsugar taxesonsugarybeverages
and food.
• Trendsby countries:
InSingapore, thegovernment introducedHealthierChoiceSymbol
(HCS) Programme, whichplaces logos onhealthy food/groceries.
In Indonesia,oneof themostpopularproducts is “coolingwater”.
“Coolingdown” is seen as anadded function to the beverage.
In Thailand, high-protein health beverages have become
increasingly popular. TipcoFoodsPlc., has introduced “Tipcobeat”,
yellowpeaextract-based high-protein drink.
• Marketing Strategies Case Studies: Carabao Dang
EnergyDrink
Carabaogroupsuccessfully reaches its target– theworkingclass
population–bypromoting itsenergydrink “CarabaoDang”withone
of the founders, Aed Carabao, a leader of a famous music band
“Carabao”.Theyalso formed “BaoDangGirlsTeam”andused “Cash
VanModel” topromote thedrink.
Japan
• Market Overview andMarketingStrategies
Therearea fewcategoriesofhealth foodproducts in the regulatory
framework in Japan. Food for SpecifiedHealthUses (FOSHU) was
introduced in1991but itsmarkethasbeenshrinkingand thevarieties
of products are very limited, due to the huge cost for product
development anda long time span (3-4 years) till approval.
On theotherhand, themarket for theFoodwithFunctionalClaims
(FFC) which was introduced in 2015 has been expanding. Before
FFC, supplements containing bilberry extract and lutein could only
use very unclear/ambiguous sales copies such as “to enjoy seeing
and reading.” However, after FFC, Fancl’s Enkin, eye supplement
product forexample,wereallowed todeliveraclearermessagesuch
ComparativeConsumer
Analysisbetween
ASEAN, Japanand India
as “to help the eye focus on close objects”. Probiotics yoghurt, certain
chocolateand tomato juiceproductarecontributing to thegrowthofFFC.
• Consumer Trends
“Chou-Katsu”, or “intestineactivity” if literally translated, hasbecome
popular these days. “Chou-Katsu” is to have a lifestyle, exercises, and
diet that could create a better intestine environment. It is believed that
keeping a good intestine environment treats constipation, makes skin
beautiful and makes people healthier. Health foods such as probiotics
yoghurt, traditional fermented food, and fiber-rich food are attracting
consumers.
India
• Market Overview
Indiahasahugevegetarianpopulationbase.Youngergenerationare
getting more and more concerned about their weight and shape and
inclined to choosehealthier food.
Against such backdrop, theFoodSafety andStandardsAuthority of
India (FSSAI) has issued the long-awaited rules for functional foodsand
supplements, which will be enforced from 1 January 2018. The rules
cover health supplements, nutraceuticals, food for special dietary use,
food for special medical purposes, functional foods and novel foods.
• Consumer Trends
Healthandwellness foodsmarket isgrowingat a rateof about 10%.
Consumersaremovingaway from traditional breakfast like ‘parathas’ to
healthier options such as cereals, oats and fortified milk food drinks.
Growth rates are high especially in green tea, wheat and oat noodles,
milk food drinks andbreakfast cereals.
• MarketingStrategiesCaseStudies: SaffolaOil
Saffolaoilwas launchedbyMaricoLimited,muchbefore Indianpeople
becamehealthconscious.Saffola’sportfolio includesedibleoils, functional
foods, and salt. As Indians becamemore concerned about their health,
varietiesofhealthyoilswere launchedandmarketcompetition increased.
Saffola’s typical customer used to be mid aged urban male who
switched from regularoildue to recommendation fromdoctors.Therefore,
the brand’s images were “therapeutic” and “medical.” In their ad, they
used to showambulance lights and sirens, panic-stricken faces.
As themarket becamemore competitive, they tried to reachout toa
new customer base, whowant to have an active and healthy life. They
changed thebrand image tobemoreoptimisticandpositiveandpositioned
onproactiveandpreventivehearthealth.They left fromscare-mongering
ads and instead started to run “Saffola FIT foodie”
TM
website, which
introduceshealthy recipesof traditional favoritessupervisedbynutritionists
anddieticians.
