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PHOTOS BY CANON
SUNSHINE KINGDOM
The Company was formed in 2014 based on an idea envisaged by Aesos Lai who was in the T-Shirt design business. The idea of a “Durian Kafe” (a durian down-stream retail outlet), was mooted from a concept derived from one of his T-shirt designs which was popular as a souvenir amongst tourists.
Aesos was encouraged by a close friend who told him that the “Durian Kafe” concept will appeal to people who like something unique, durian-related food items, and another friend told him that the next “BIG” thing is Durian which is getting popular amongst Chinese tourists from mainland China.
With this conviction, Aesos (who is strong in Branding and Marketing) invited Eddie Wong (who is a specialist in Retail and Operations and has more than ten years experience in managing retail outlets) to set-up Durian Kafe along with two other friends (Sashtri the designer, and Kaycee the Sales and PR person). In March 2014, Durian Kafe was set up in Central Market with products sourced from suppliers.
Subsequently in May 2014 Aesos suggested to Eddie that instead of buying from suppliers, they should create their own product brand to be sold in Durian Kafe – and this led to the set up of a new company called “Sunshine Kingdom” (Eddie coined the name as he sees Durian as the “upcoming" Sunshine Business, and a Kingdom can be built based on selling Durian Products). A year down the road, they realised that Chinese Tourists (who were their main buyers) could not read nor remember the “Sunshine Kingdom” brand name in English.
In order to build a lasting impression on Chinese tourists, a catchy product brand name is necessary – and the “Xiao Yang” brand was created (which means ‘tourist delicacies business will bring great fortune everyday’) – the name was created by Eddie on his holiday trip to Taiwan.
The “Xiao Yang” brand started with Wafers, Cookies and Candy as there were not many competitors in this category, and the main sales areas were at the Airports, particularly KLIA and KLIA2.
As a start-up with limited funds, in the first two years’ of operations, Sunshine Kingdom experienced moderate growth in terms of sales and product range. Subsequently, with strong commitment to expand product range, business began to increase tremendously in 2017-2018, with sales growth of 70% over these two years. Today, Sunshine Kingdom is the Brand Leader in Durian down-stream products.
MARKET
Sunshine Kingdom is a major FOOD SOUVENIR player in Malaysia. It aims at offering tourists and business travellers from all over the world a “Truly Malaysian Durian Experience” – whereby everyone who visits Malaysia will want to take home a piece of the local flavour in the form of the very unique Durian Products as “Souvenirs”.
Sunshine Kingdom products, are specially designed and packed as “Premium Food Souvenirs” ranging from Fresh Durians, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Freeze Dried, Candy, Biscuits & Confectionery, Hot and Cold Products, and are targeted mainly at Asian tourists and business travellers, particularly from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Macau and South East Asia, etc.
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This “tourist-focused” strategy has resulted in a durian-related product market share of about 20% presently, of which 95% of the customers are tourists.
Given that the “Food Souvenir” (Gifting) trend has been growing steadily over the past few years, and that the Durian Trend is envisaged to grow even further in the near future, Sunshine Kingdom hopes to capture a 40% market share within the next five years.
BRAND VALUES
Sunshine Kingdom believes that Durian is the Perfect Food Souvenir and Gifting Product.
Taste Durian Taste Malaysia
Vision Sunshine Kingdom’s Vision is to create and promote a reputable Food Souvenir Business, with special focus on attractive-packaging, great-tasting and good-quality edible gifts for tourists – making it a “MUST-BUY Brand” of food souvenir from Malaysia.
Key Objectives
♦ To create ‘emotional connections’ with customers through a unique ‘food gifting’
experience. ♦ To provide great-tasting, high quality and attractive designed packaging of famous
“must-try” local foodstuff to customers as ideal souvenirs/gifts. ♦ To be a “1-STOP” food souvenir supplier with major focus on the King of Fruits,
“Durian”. ♦ To play a niche role in the Tourist Sector of Malaysia by creating, developing and distributing souvenir products with attractive packaging, featuring local attractions and culture. ♦ To create gifts for tourists to take home as mementos or tokens for friends and family
from their travels/holidays. ♦ To introduce local flavours in products that tourists can’t find back home. ♦ To source for products and delicacies from credible and trustworthy manufacturers in
Malaysia. ♦ To distribute food sourvenir products to major tourists’ touch-points in Malaysia. ♦ To supply to 250 outlets by the end of 2019. ♦ To export all Asean countries within the next 3 years.
BRAND IDENTITY & RECOGNITION APPROACH
Sunshine Kingdom intends to promote Durian as a “Happy Fruit”. In general, people who like/love durian feel happy when eating the fruit. Hence, Durian is seen as a fruit that gives “Happiness” and “Full Satisfaction” to consumers in this region. Additionally, people tend to come together for a “durian session” and this shows that Durian is the only fruit in the world that can unite people, - Sunshine Kingdom calls it “DurianUnited”.
In terms of brand identity, Sunshine Kingdom differentiates itself in most retail outlets via the display of a “Giant Durian” (a six-foot cardboard Durian or a six and a half foot 2D Fiberglass Durian), which has become the Company’s trademark.
Additionally, the most unique selling proposition of Sunshine Kingdom is the adoption a “filial piety” approach in its coffee design packaging that features the founders’ parents and parents-in-law – this concept was the brain-child of Aesos who firmly believes that filial piety is an expressed deference of “Gratitude & Respect”, and such conception can help the company build a strong foundation in business management ethics and values moving forward.
BRAND AWARENESS & SALES PROMOTION
To build a sustainable brand name and to promote sales of products, Sunshine Kingdom uses multiple channels:-
• Advertise in print media – AirAsia’s In-Flight Magazine: Duty Free Magazine / Santan Magazine and GoAsiaPlus.
• Develop Product and Corporate Videos and post them on social media platforms to promote the brand.
• Conduct on-site promotions in airport shops and supermarkets offering consumers “Buy 4, Get 1 Free” deals, etc., which increases sales incrementally by 30% to 50% during the promotion period.
• Conduct in-store promotions during all major festivals in Malaysia.
THE SK (SUNSHINE KINGDOM) BRAND JOURNEY
2014 : Introduced new products and created attractive packaging designs
2015 : Grew product range aggressively
2016 : Provided “Positive Experiences” for customers – focused on building the ‘SK
Brand’ (since products can be copied but brands can’t be copied)
2017 : Brand gained reputation and received positive perceptions plus growing acceptance through reinforcement of customer awareness (e.g. advertisement in AirAsia’s In-Flight magazine and Airport Free Magazine)
2018 : Brand reflects success and popularity through awards received 2019 : Promotional Activities to further enhance the brand’s image (Mug & Teapot Gifts) 2020 : Strengthen the brand’s position as the No.1 Durian Brand in Malaysia with multiple consumer promotions (premiums like Mug, Teapot & Coin Bank) in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2020 – Visit Truly Asia Malaysia
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RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Going forward, Sunshine Kingdom intends to promote its brand to not just tourists but also the locals and eventually may consider venturing into the franchising business.
In May 2018, Sunshine Kingdom opened a flagship outlet in Central Market under the brand name “Durian Kingdom”. The objective is to have a one-stop complete Durian Experience shop, offering a vast variety of products ranging from Fresh Whole Durian Fruit, Packed Frozen Durian, Hot Durian Products (Tart, Buns, Fried Dumplings, Nasi Lemak, Hot Coffee), Cold Durian Products (Cendol, Ice Kacang, Ice Coffee, Ice Cream) as well as Packed Durian Downstream Products (Chocolate, Coffee, Freeze Dried, Biscuits and Confectionery).
The Company has started to venture outside Malaysia – it has exported its products to USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam. Taiwan, Indonesia and Australia are the next targeted export markets. In recent years, it is found that Russians, Koreans and Germans are beginning to enjoy durian and durian-related products, and these could also be the future target markets as well.
BRAND STRENGTHENING INITIATIVES
Sunshine Kingdom initiated the use of “Filial Piety Concept” as a key theme in its various Coffee packaging designs in 2014, and this theme is further strengthened in 2019 through engagement with the public via a filial piety ‘theme-based’ video contest, and the introduction of a dedicated special day to Parents, “Xiao Yang Parents’ Day”, on 8.8.2019. This video contest and Parents’ Day celebration will be an annual event.
Additionally, to build on the ‘theme-based’ concepts and to stimulate sales growth momentum, Sunshine Kingdom introduced two new concepts in 2019 - the Happy Cookies to promote “Happiness” as a positive influence in life, and the Sunshine Cookies to promote “Motivation” as a stimulating force of life.
In 2020, the Company intends to introduce the Friendship Cookies & Friendship Candies to celebrate the joys of “Friendship”.
In addition to generating interest via its’ ‘theme-based’ products, moving forward Sunshine Kingdom will be actively involved in CSR activities and Charity events, targeting particularly at Senior Citizens, Single Mothers and Orphans, as a sincere gesture of giving back to society.
2014 - 2018 : Filial Piety (Coffee Products)
2019 : Happiness - Happy Cookies (Biscuit Products)
Motivation - Sunshine Cookies (Biscuit Products)
2020 : Friendship - Friendship Cookies / Candies (Biscuit /Candy Products)
On-going : Sharing and Caring (activities / events)
ACHIEVEMENTS & ACCOLADES
From just six products in 2014, today Sunshine Kingdom has a total of 85 products. For a relatively young brand, Sunshine Kingdom has received an astonishing number of accolades:-
► Superbrands Award (2019) – Two consecutive years
► World Top Gourmet Award 2019 – Durian Food Souvenir
► Branding Association of Malaysia 2019 – the First Durian Company to be invited as Member of this Prestigious Organisation
► Best Consumers’ Choice 2019 – Platinum Award (voted by consumers)
► SOBA 2018 (Star Outstanding Business Award) – the only company in Malaysia to be awarded Best in Marketing for companies under RM 25 Mil sales turnover
► Malaysia Tourism Council 2018 – Gold Award Brand in Food Souvenir
► World Excellence Tourism Awards 2018 @ World Travel Market, London
► Sunshine Kingdom is the first company to be given recognition by the Malaysia Book of Records for the Most Number of Durian Related Products in 2018.
► Superbrands Award (2018) - First Durian Company in Malaysia (and also 1st in the World) to be awarded Superbrands Status.
► The BrandLaureate Award (2017/2018)
o SMEs Best Brands Award @ Retail (Snacks and Confectionery).
► Asia’s Top Leaders’ Award - Top Awards 2018
► Asia’s Top 100 Honesty Brand Award (2017)
► Sin Chew Business Award (2017) – Business Excellence Award
► Asean Outstanding Business Award (2017)
o Asean Most Recognised Brand in Durian Made Native Products.
► International Prestige Brand Award (2017)
o Best Brand in Packed Durian Products
► World Top Gourmet Awards (2017) – Top Brand Excellence Award
► Malaysia-China Silk Road Award (2016) – International Entrepreneur Excellence Award
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INTERESTING FACTS
ŠØ Sunshine Kingdom is the first company to have ALL its products packaging
featuring Malaysian Landmarks and Culture.
ŠØ Sunshine Kingdom is the first company in Malaysia to adopt a “filial piety” approach in its coffee design packaging that features the founders’ parents and parents-in-law.
ŠØ Sunshine Kingdom is the first company to emphasize durian species in their range of Durian Coffee (Musang King, D24, Durian Kampong) due to their unique tastes.
ŠØ Sunshine Kingdom is the first Company to introduce Musang King Kopi
Luwak in the world.
ŠØ Sunshine Kingdom started with just 6 products in 2014, and has grown to a
total of 85 products today, within a short span of 5 years.
ŠØ Eddie was a customer of Aesos, who is a Distributor of Tourist Souvenir
Products in KLIA.
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