Meet Me at the Bar
The Drinks Connexion founder, Foo Ken Vin, on introducing awardwinning brands to the local market for the enjoyment of Malaysians
2020 marks Drinks Connexion’s second year anniversary. Congrats! How will you be celebrating? With drinks, no doubt?
It has been an incredible journey so far. I remember starting with just a few brands in our portfolio, which we have managed to grow by volumes. None of this would be possible without our shareholders, internal team members, and partners including wholesalers, trade members and consumers who believed in us. Together, we have pushed the boundaries to provide Malaysian consumers with more variety and enjoyment.
How will we be celebrating? As we always do since we started the company: by sharing good food and drinks with everyone we engage with.
How did working with Guinness Anchor Berhad and Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia equip you to build Drinks Connexion from the ground up?
My starting role as brand executive of Guinness Anchor Berhad made me decide that this was the industry for me. It was exciting for a fresh graduate to work on an international brand while creating campaigns to cater to the local consumer. It was the beginning of my working with wholesalers to understand their distribution and touch points, as well as liaising with trade partners to discover their different targets.
Meanwhile, Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia introduced me to the world of luxury spirits, champagne and wines. The role of brand person had a wider definition: it involved marketing, stocks forecasting, and reviewing profit and loss statements and advertising budgets to ensure we had hit our targets.
I was really fortunate to have such strong support from all my mentors, who gave me the required skill sets to start my own thing.
In the movie “Uncorked”, Chardonnay is described as the Jay-z of white wine (versatile and smooth) whereas Riesling is likened to Drake (crisp, clean, and kind of sweet). As a fan of rap music, which spirits would you ascribe to your favourite rappers, Tupac and Post Malone?
Wow, this is a really tough one, as both are my music idols. Tupac would be cognac or whisky — elegant in character and classic in taste, but ever-evolving. Brands in this category continue to innovate while maintaining their core values.
Post Malone is more like gin or tequila. Vibrant, fresh, creative, fun for mixing or remixing, these beverages are approachable to everybody.
How have consumers’ tastes in spirits changed in recent years?
Consumers are more inclined to try unfamiliar brands nowadays. As travel is more accessible, they are exposed to brands that are less known or unavailable locally, and often bring this newfound knowledge home.
Customers are also encouraged to explore new terrain as importers introduce award-winning brands to the local market—brands that might be well-known abroad, but virtually unheard of in Asia.
Tell us about Drinks Connexion’s most recent inductions.
We have been appointed the sole Malaysian importer and distributor for the full portfolio of the Brown-forman Corporation.
Our key focus is to reignite Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whisky. The team’s brainstorm sessions revolve around the “Jack is Back” motto, so look out for exciting campaigns coming from Drinks Connexion.