Thursday December 13, 2012

F&N confident of capturing carbonated drink markets with myCola

By JACK WONG
jackwong@thestar.com.my

Brand new soft drink: Lau launching myCola yesterday.

KUCHING: F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd has unveiled a new soft drink — myCola — to grow its carbonated beverages portfolio.

The launch of myCola here yesterday came about a year after F&N ceased marketing the Coca-Cola.

F&N assistant general manager (general trade) Lau Cheng Yew said with myCola, the company was going all out to get a slice of the big cola market, which is worth about RM40mil a year in Sarawak and Sabah.

The cola business, according to him, constitutes about 40% of the carbonated soft drinks market which is valued at some RM100mil in the East Malaysian market.

F&N corporate affairs manager Cariessa Goh said myCola was launched in Sarawak and Sabah first before being unveiled in Peninsular Malaysia later.

Goh said the reason for this was that there were more cola drinkers in the two states.

Lau said myCola complemented and completed the F&N range of flavoured soft drinks.

“F&N is no stranger to the cola business. We have some seven decades of experience in the manufacturing and distribution of cola for a well-known cola player.

“That in depth learning and experience augurs well as we embark on the cola business,” he added at the launch myCola at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel here.

Lau said a survey on consumer taste of myCola had revealed that 72% of consumers surveyed had expressed an overall liking towards the new soft drink over current cola market leaders while 62% of the respondents said they would purchase myCola.

myCola comes in its pack sizes of 325ml can size and 1.5k PET bottle and is manufactured by F&N plant here for the Sarawak market.

F&N Sabah and Selangor plants are producing myCola for the Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia market respectively.

In conjunction with myCola’s rollout, F&N is conducting sampling activities across various trade outlets here until early next year.

Consumers can try myCola and take part in an exchange programme whereby they could bring in empty cans or bottles of any other cola brand in exchange for myCola on a one-to-one basis.

Lau said F&N was committed to serving Sarawak and Sabah consumers after having invested more than RM100mil in its manufacturing and warehousing facilities and other projects in the two states.

F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd and F&N Beverages Manufacturing Sdn Bhd form the soft drinks division of Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, the country’s largest soft drinks distributor and manufacturer.

The wide range of F&N products include 100Plus, Fun Flavours, SEASONS, Fruit Tree, Ice Mountain mineral water and cordials.

News

Thursday December 13, 2012

F&N confident of capturing carbonated drink markets with myCola

By JACK WONG jackwong@thestar.com.my

By JACK WONG
jackwong@thestar.com.my