Thai Drinks banking on 100Plus brand
Firm earmarks B3bn for functional drink
Thai Drinks Co, a beverage management company under the Thai Beverage Group (ThaiBev), has earmarked 3 billion baht from 2015-20 to build a new functional drink brand here and generate 15 billion baht in sales from it.
The new functional drink is under the 100Plus brand, a product from Fraser and Neave Ltd (F&N) in Singapore.
F&N is also part of ThaiBev, owned by whisky tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
Sales of 100Plus will help boost Thai Drinks’ total non-alcoholic beverage sales to 150 billion baht by 2020, up from 30 billion last year.
Thai Drinks is confident the launch of 100Plus will shake up the carbonated soft drinks market in Thailand, as many consumers are expected to switch to it.
Under the new management structure, ThaiBev has assigned Thai Drinks to take responsibility for marketing and brandbuilding for beverages under ThaiBev, Sermsuk, Oishi and F&N.
Chang is ThaiBev’s beer brand, while its spirit brands include Mekhong, Hong Thong, Ruang Khao, Blend 285 and Old Pulteney.
Non-alcoholic beverages are Est carbonated soft drinks, Oishi green tea, NutriSoy soy milk and 100Plus functional drink.
Thai Drinks president Marut Buranasetkul said 100Plus was the first functional carbonated soft drink launched in Thailand.
This product will become an alternative soft drink for people who are healthconscious, he said.
100Plus has been available in Malaysia for 31 years and is now available in Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand.
Thai Drinks and F&N plan to discuss distributing the functional drink in Europe by the middle of this year.
“100Plus will totally change the 47-billion-baht carbonated soft drinks market. It will stimulate the expansion of the market, which grows about 4% a year,” Thai Drinks vice-president Jesdakorn Ghosh said.
The company is set to spend 700 million baht this year to build brand awareness for 100Plus products in the country. Toon Bodyslam, Pear Pimpisa and Toey Thiew Thai have been hired as product presenters to represent the young generation who have an active lifestyle.
The company will allocate 2.3 billion baht to promote the new functional drink brand from 2016-20.
Mrs Jesdakorn said the launch of 100Plus was a major step for Thai Drinks to enter Thailand’s non-alcoholic beverage market with a global brand recognised by the health-conscious new generation.
Mr Marut said his company expected to generate 2.5 billion baht in sales from 100Plus in the first year of operation, with annual sales jumping to 15 billion baht by 2020.
By that time, ThaiBev’s total sales for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will reach 300 billion baht, split equally between the two businesses.
Apart from 100Plus, the company also plans to expand Oishi and Est cola internationally this year.
F&N will distribute the product for Oishi and Est, while Thai Drinks will handle marketing and brand building.