Oishi outlines B80m marketing blitz for Fruito line

Oishi outlines B80m marketing blitz for Fruito line

Oishi Group Plc, the Japanese-themed food and beverage firm, is ready to fully compete in the contested ready-to-drink green tea market as it increases its budget this year.

Popular actor Chantavit Ter Dhanasevi is a new presenter for Oishi Fruito.

Some 800 million baht has been allocated to promote ready-to-drink green tea, following the return to full capacity of Oishi's production at flood-ravaged Navanakorn Industrial Park.

Some Oishi items such as Fruito, which is green tea mixed with fruit flavours, disappeared from retail shelves by over 15 months, said Aniruth Mahathorn, executive vice-president of beverages.

He said Oishi Fruito will return to the market on Jan 24 as a combination two blends of premium fruit with green tea, in order to lure teenagers.

Of the marketing budget, 80 million baht will be spent to promote the new Fruito line with a goal of 500-800 million in sales this year. Popular actor Chantavit Ter Dhanasevi was already hired as a new presenter for Fruito.

The fruit green tea segment accounts for 14% of the ready-to-drink green tea market in Thailand, but Oishi hopes after its marketing blitz the number will reach 20% in 2013.

Ready-to-drink green tea industry sales in 2012 hit 13 billion baht, up 30% from 2011 and the highest in several years. Mr Aniruth expects the segment to expand another 30% this year.

The company hopes to launch at least one other product each quarter this year. The expectation is for double-digit growth in beverage sales in 2013.

Oishi's green tea drink sales in 2012 maintained double-digit growth despite the late resumption of its UHT lines. The company expected to relaunch Oishi UHT products in May last year but was unable to until the fourth quarter.

Oishi also projects operations at its new facility in Saraburi this summer will bring total production capacity of PET bottles to 60 million per month. It can produce 35 million boxes for UHT packaging per month.

Shares of Oishi Group Plc closed on the SET yesterday at 169.50 baht, down 3.50 baht, in trade worth 44 million.

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