Lively, energetic and healthy Sukrit (Bee) Visetkaew has been named the first soymilk presenter, as Friesland Foods Foremost (Thailand) gears up for a higher market share.

Urging it ontowards that goal are Foremost's operations in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, which are considering launching UHT soymilk products in their own markets and closely monitoring business and marketing strategies in Thailand.

The UHT-soymilk segment is one of the most competitive in the ready-to-drink milk market. It attracts media and marketing investment of more than Bt500 million a year from the major players, which are determined to maintain their competitiveness and market share.

"It's our vision to be the leader in the dairy- and related-products market, and Foremost Hi-5 UHT soymilk is a key part of this strategy, not only in Thailand, but also in many countries around the world," said marketing director Kaweemat Tangkiriphiman.

She said Thailand was the first country in which Foremost launched a UHT soymilk product, in 2005. It has now become a model for many of Foremost's marketing operations in other countries.

The company yesterday launched its first new product this year: Foremost Hi-5 Mixed Berry and Carrot. Its launch and subsequent media and marketing activities will use up half of this year's Bt100-million marketing budget for the company's entire range of soymilk products. Hi-5 Mixed Berry and Carrot will be promoted through television commercials, print advertisements, in-store media and product sampling.

"Foremost Hi-5 will also be the first brand in the soymilk market to use a presenter," Kaweemat said. "We plan to improve our ranking in the UHT soymilk market from our present fourth place to one of the top three within the next five years," she said.

She added that the top three at the moment were Lactasoy, with 43 per cent of the market; Vitamilk, 35 per cent; and Dutchmill's DNA, 17 per cent.

Managing director Ian Gearing revealed that his company was currently the leader in the base-nutrition market, consisting of UHT milk, 54 per cent; soymilk, 34 per cent; sterilised milk, 10 per cent; and cereal drink, 1 per cent. Last year, the market was worth more than Bt14 billion, growing 13 per cent from 2005. Foremost has a 50-per-cent share of the base-nutrition market, with ongoing double-digit growth in UHT milk, which is the market's biggest segment.

He said Friesland Foods Foremost had focused on developing new products to cover all consumers' needs while maintaining high growth in the UHT soymilk segment, which alone had a market value of Bt4.8 billion last year, growing 23 per cent from 2005.

"With our strength, we believe Foremost will play an important part in driving the growth of this market and continue to lead the base-nutrition market. With our target of increasing sales revenues from Foremost Hi-5 products by 20 per cent this year, we will further differentiate the brand by launching new products with added features," Gearing said.

Sales director Vipas Paovarojkit said the major channel for sales of UHT soymilk was general trade (51 per cent), followed by supermarkets and hypermarkets (34 per cent) and convenience stores (15 per cent).

"Our strategy is to increase the product's availability in the market by covering more shops. For the modern trade, we'll distinguish our products on the shelves, as well as offering product-sampling activities," Vipas said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation