Brand
Interview

As we all know, Mayora is one of Indonesia’s largest consumer products companies, doing well not only at home but also in several international markets. Could you tell us a bit about Mayora’s mission as a CPG manufacturer?

We believe that our mission is to serve goodness and happiness to consumers around the world – not only in Indonesia.

Mayora is well known for its products in categories like biscuits, candies and coffee, and in recent years has successfully launched new brands in tea, mineral waters, and also detergents. How do you manage your portfolio in terms of identifying which products to launch, and how do you measure your success?

The first thing is the market size and the growth situation in that particular category or segment. This is where Kantar plays a big role in providing research and insight. Another crucial thing is having a good product, but also a good concept – you need to have something distinctive to offer the consumer so they can see the value.

Measuring the success of a product is very simple for us: that’s when the consumer buys your product again and again. So, if the purchase is not repeated, then it’s not successful.

In the recently released Kantar Brand Footprint study, which measures the most chosen brands, Le Minerale won ‘The Rising Star Award’ for the brand that entered the 2023 Top 100 Most Chosen FMCG Brands. Can you share what’s behind this success? What did you do to enlarge your buyer base?

We follow the ‘SCBD’ formula. Number one, as brand owners, we need to sell what we can do for the consumer, which means Solutions is the first ‘S’. You need to give value. Second, when you define what you can solve, you need to not only have the product but also a Concept; the ‘C’. ‘B’ is the Brand: you need to have insightful communication. To sell the brand, it is not just about the trial but also the repeat, so we can ensure continuous growth. Finally, ‘D’ is Do it consistently. Marketers often think about short term impact, but brand building requires a very long process and huge investment.

The question then is how you do it. The answer is that SCBD must be done in a SEXY way! The ‘S’ means Simple. In this crowded world, especially with the rapid development of digital, we need to simplify things and break through the clutter. Then the ‘E’ means Engaging consumers with education. So for example with Le Minerale, as a drinking water product, we try to educate consumers that minerals are not produced in the human body, so you need an intake from outside to fulfill needs.

We have seen significant success with another new launch from Mayora, Mie Oven. It entered the very mature instant noodle market, and according to Kantar data around 40% of Indonesian households purchased Mie Oven in the last year, which makes it one of the country’s most successful launches. That’s a fantastic achievement! Can you share your efforts to achieve this success?

I think is a good achievement by everybody in Mayora, and thanks to the consumer as well. We always keep talking about solutions and value to consumers. When it comes to the instant noodle category, consumers demand something tasty. Most noodles have a curly shape and are always fried, while the condiments are usually in a powder format. From these insights, we saw an opportunity to change the offering with a product that is not fried, is straight in shape, and comes with a condiment that is similar to sauce. Because taste is very important, we offered completely new flavours that had never existed before, such as Mie Goreng Gulai Sultan, and Mie Kuah Iga Sapi. Those efforts to create difference in the market made our brand succeed.

Another interesting story comes from your new product Tujuh Kurma, which found success in the liquid dairy sector. Can you share the story behind this innovation?

Consumers look for health benefits from this category. But we observed that there was limited innovation, especially in terms of flavour options – so we thought about how to improve taste in this category. We didn’t just want to add flavour; we also needed to offer a good health benefit. That’s when we realised that dates could fit both needs: as well as being a super food, they also have a natural sweetness. That become our ‘AHA MOMENT’!

Last question, how will Mayora futureproof itself as the leading business in the CPG industry, not just in Indonesia but also in global markets?

I believe there are a couple of key success factors. First, you never cheat the consumer, because if you do they will only buy once, but not repeat the purchase. Second, do not expect your consumers to pay for your inefficiency. We cannot just waiting for someone to come with a better value.

When it comes to growth strategy, I think there are three parts. Number one, we have to ensure our core products are supported by insightful marketing campaigns and communication. Second, Mayora is well known for its spirit of innovation. We will create meaningful innovations, both for our existing products and when entering a new segment or category. As a global player, there are a lot of opportunities for us, both in category expansions and geographical expansions.