C h a p t e r T w o : P r o d u c t P r o f i l e

K i n d o r i J a p a n e s e I c e c r e a m

CHAPTER TWO :

Product Profile

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Chapter Two: Product Profile

2.1 Product Name

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream

2.2 Product ClassificationK

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream is a soft-serve ice-cream made from blast-frozen fruits targeted at health-conscious consumers and is a non-durable product.

2.3 Product Characteristics

2.31 Type : Soft-serve ice-cream

2.32 Packaging : The ice-cream product comes in either a paper cup or a freshly made wafer cone rolled inside a paper cone, decorated with the brand’s signature ice- cream snowflake pattern and includes the brand name, logo and tagline.

Figure 2.1 Modes of packaging

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2.33 Ice-cream range : Delight , Fusion, Sensation 2.34 Price range : RM 6.90 – RM 9.90 (depends on ice-cream range and mode of packaging)

2.35 Unit of sale : Per cup/ Per cone (additional RM1)

2.36 Storage : Fruits are blast frozen at -40 degrees celcius using blast-freezing technology to ensure freshness and quality. Seasonal fruits are especially kept for longer an in bigger volumes for stocking purposes as they are seasonal. Storage can last up until a year without compromising the quality of the fruits.

2.4 Product Range

2.4.1 Kindori’s ice-cream range

The ice-cream product comes in many fruit flavours that include both tropical and exotic fruits, with seasonal fruit flavours like durian occasionally making the menu. The best selling flavours are Mango, Strawberry, Matcha (green tea), Black Sesame and Chocolate, with some ingredients like black sesame seeds flown specially from Japan. Each type of fruit has various nutritional values that are beneficial to health.

Figure 2.2 Types of fruit at the counter and the ice-cream products

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Figure 2.3 Ice-cream products menu board

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Below are the three ranges of the ice-creams available :

a. Delight range

Description : The Delight range offers Kindori’s selection of all-year round ice- cream flavors grown and harvested locally, perfect for those in search of a light, authentic taste of Malaysia’s tropical fruits.

Type : Individual flavour

Price : RM 6.90 per cup (with wafer biscuit) and RM 7.90 for wafer cones (additional RM 1 to switch from cup to wafer cone) RM 9.90 per cup – RM 10.90 per cone for Durian

Flavours : - Carrot - Coconut - Cempedak - Jackfruit - Papaya - Pineapple - Red Bean - Banana

- Watermelon - Durian

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Health benefits (based on fruit type) :

FRUIT/OTHERS BENEFITS

Watermelon Good source of Vitamin C and antioxidants Improves insulin sensitivity

Papaya Aids in digestion, protective benefits against cancer and heart conditions

Lower high cholesterol levels Promotes lung health

Banana Helps regulate heart function and fluid balance Provides energy boost Promotes good bowel function

Pineapple Beneficial in energy production Effective anticancer properties

Coconut Destroys intestinal parasites Relieves stomach ulcer Improves digestion and nutrient absorption

Cempedak Reduces cholesterol in blood Helps maintain digestive tract

Jackfruit Lowers blood pressure Treats tension and nervousness Helps skin look young and supple

Carrot Helps to improve eyesight Helps regulate blood sugar Reduces risk of cancer

Red Bean Helps lower cholesterol levels High-content of antioxidants Cointains high-levels of fibre to help lose weight

Table 2.1 Delight’s fruity health benefits

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b. Sensation range

Description : The Sensation range offers a very wide selection of exotic fruits that would satisfy any fruit-lover’s taste buds. The pricing for this range is more expensive as most of the fruits are imported. Unique flavours such as Wasabi and Black Sesame are definitely a must-try for those looking for a refreshingly different ice-cream experience.

Type : Individual flavour

Price : RM 8.90 per cup (with wafer biscuit) and RM 9.90 for wafer cones (additional RM 1 to switch from cup to wafer cone)

Flavours : - Blueberry - Chocolate - Mango - Passion fruit - Strawberry - Pineapple - Matcha (green tea) - Lychee

- Raspberry - Grapes - Kiwi - Golden Kiwi

- Blackcurrant - Lemon - Morello Cherry - Pumpkin - Rockmelon - Lime - Black Sesame - Sumiyaki Coffee - Wasabi

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Health benefits (based on fruit type) :

FRUIT/OTHERS BENEFITS

Blackcurrant Reduces effects of arthritis High-levels of antioxidants

Strawberry Rids harmful toxins in blood Increase brain health and function

Raspberry Neutralizes free radicals in the bodyPumpkin Reduces signs of aging

Reduces risks of hypertensionGrape Quick source of energy

Regulates acidity of uric acid in kidneysLemon Cleanses the stomachMango Relieves clogged pores on skin

Aids in digestion and combats acidityMorello Cherry High-levels of antioxidantsPassion Fruit Reduces cancer cells growth

Improves athletic performanceRockmelon Helps in weight-lossKiwi/Golden Kiwi Helps improve diseases such as colon cancer

Prevents wheezing and coughingCocoa beans Balance hormones in the bodyCoffee beans Sharpens the mind and boosts mood

Reduces risks of Parkinson’s diseaseWasabi Prevents growth of tumours

Reduces risks of heart attack

Table 2.2 Sensation’s fruity health benefits

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c. Fusion range

Description : The Fusion range offers Kindori’s specialty mixes of two flavours, giving consumers a unique exotic taste and the combined health benefits from two fruits. For this range, the fruits to be mixed are pre-chosen by Kindori as custom choices from consumers may result in unsatisfying tastes.

Type : Mixed flavours (2)

Price : RM 8.90 per cup (with wafer biscuit) and RM 9.90 for wafer cones (additional RM 1 to switch from cup to wafer cone)

Flavours : - Blueberry + Strawberry - Chocolate + Banana - Mango + Pineapple - Mango + Passion fruit - Blueberry + Strawberry - Strawberry + Pineapple - Matcha + Red Bean - Matcha + Chocolate

- Raspberry + Blueberry - Raspberry + Grapes 2.4.2 Kindori’s other products

For those who prefer to indulge in nutritious thirst quenchers on the go, Kindori offers a selection of beverages that delivers the same healthy benefits as the ice-creams.

Figure 2.4 Fresh fruit juice

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Figure 2.5 Other products menu board

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2.5 Product Distribution

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream products are distributed directly to the two concept outlets and one retail outlet available in Malaysia, therefore the mode of distribution is direct. Since the products are only available for purchase at the brand outlets and are unavailable at major supermarkets and hypermarkets, its scope of distribution is exclusive.

2.6 Product Lifecycle

Sales

Time

Intro Growth Peak Decline

Graph 2.1 Product lifecycle

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2.7 The Brand

Figure 2.6 The old logo (left) and the current logo (right)

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream is a soft-serve ice-cream brand originating from Japan, with numerous concept stores ever growing in Taiwan and up until three years ago, Kindori made its first mark in Malaysia. The Kindori franchise aims to spread its venture to other countries in Southeast Asia following successful stories in Japan and Taiwan. The unique process of forming Kindori’s brand of soft-serve ice-cream lies in the advanced technology of the ice-cream machine which was developed in Japan fifteen years ago, now brought into Malaysia in hopes of sharing the goodness of Kindori with today’s health-conscious Malaysians.

Kindori in Japanese translates to the ‘Golden Path’, which figuratively means the path to achieving good wellbeing. With all the nutritional advantages of the tasty raw ingredients, consumers are moving one step closer to leading a healthier eating lifestyle. Leveraging on this, Kindori aims to be the brand that is synonymous to all things healthy. The brand’s former tagline was ‘The Natural Gift of Health’, the current one being ‘Fresh and Natural Fruity Indulgence’, both in which envisions Kindori’s mission of delivering health in just a cup of ice-cream.

The Kindori brand is slowly gaining recognition from consumers in Malaysia, but with a heavy reliance on those who have tried Kindori to spread the word around due to lack of promotional activities and weak marketing strategies. These factors have proven to be major setback in efforts to push the brand further in the market to compete against other established ice-cream brands.

2.7.1 Brand concept

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Kindori’s brand concept is divided into three categories, those of which create the basis for its corporate value, business value and product value. With these three values combined, a strong brand concept is constructed, creating a better brand identity and positioning for Kindori Japanese Ice-cream.

Below are the three values that makes up Kindori’s brand concept :

2.8 Brand Image and Implication

The brand is very close to reaching the point of the declining stage as of now, as little has been done to re-in force the brand image and positioning, resulting in sales growth being stagnant .The introduction of the Kindori brand and its products between 2007 to late 2008 was considered successful as sales sky-rocketed due to consumer’s curiosity of the new brand, but ultimately curiosity was not enough to position the Kindori brand in the minds of consumers for long, which is largely due to the absence of an intensive all-year round advertising strategy as well as the robust advertising

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CORPORATE VALUEFocus on selling health

By making health a priority, the company aims to

connect with today's health conscious consumers through a brand promise of delivering a natural, healthy and guilt-free ice-cream indulgence.

By using only blast-frozen fruits and 100% milk base as the ingredients, the brand stands apart from its other

competitors in terms of delivering a truly natural and healthy ice-cream product, thus increasing its business

value in the ice-cream market.

PRODUCT VALUENutritional benefits of fruits

in a cup

By promoting a healthier eating lifestyle ,the brand enhances the appeal of

consuming healthy products in the form of a unique and healthy soft serve ice-cream.

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schemes carried out by its competitors. That said, sales in 2009 plummeted as competitors rolled out their extensive advertising schemes, making full use of their media expenditure as well as the media tools, enough to completely take control of the ice-cream market share with namely Baskin Robbins and Walls owning a large portion of the pie in regards to popularity and sales.

With only a small capacity of loyal consumers at hand, Kindori’s brand image of selling healthy, made on the spot ice-cream needs to be implicated intensively in the minds of the consumers as their purchasing decisions are not just affected by the product, but the images and identifications associated with the product itself.

2.9 Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Everything from the ice-cream to the wafer cone is made on the spot as per order.

Use of blast-frozen fruits as main ingredients.

Use of 100% fresh milk base.

High in calcium, protein and vitamins.

Very low in calorie and fat.

No added sugar or preservatives.

A wide variety of local and exotic flavours.

Use of advanced technology in the making of the product.

A delightful way of consuming fruits in soft-serve ice-cream form.

Weaknesses

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The ice-cream product is unavailable at major hypermarkets and supermarkets, depending heavily on its two outlets in Malaysia to sell.

The flavour and taste is unpredictable as it depends completely on the nature of the fruits.

Mild sweetness due to zero sugar addition may not sum up to consumer’s expectations of a sugary ice-cream dessert.

Lack of promotion and advertising activities.

2.10 Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

Freshness and quality is assured as the product is made on the spot, unlike any other soft-serve ice-cream products in the market.

The use of blast-frozen fruits retains the texture and taste of the fruits besides locking in the vitamins and nutrients.

The use of 100% fresh milk base instead of cream and edible mousse prevents the ice-cream from melting fast.

High calcium and nutritional content aids in digestion, helps build strong bones and strengthens the body’s immune system.

Does not cause obesity or deteriorates health even with daily consumption.

The advanced technology of the ice-cream mixer deeply compresses the mixed ingredients to prevent air holes from spoiling the texture of the ice-cream.

Disadvantages

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The ice-cream product is hard to come buy as there are only two outlets selling the ice-cream in Malaysia.

Consumers may dislike the natural taste of the flavours without any addition of sugar or preservatives to enhance the taste.

Consumers may find it expensive compared to buying raw fruits at the supermarket.

Negative perception of healthy ice-cream in regards to taste is still strong with the lack of advertising strategies such as using customer’s testimonial of the ice-cream to erase it.

2.11 Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream is the only soft-serve ice-cream that is made on the spot for every order ; from the making of the ice-cream to the wafer cones.

2.12 Promotional History and Advertising Schedule

Kindori’s promotional activities focuses on giving consumers the best deals for their ice-creams, and is mostly conducted through the web and utilization of print media such as flyers, posters and buntings. For future promotions, Kindori plans to execute various advertising plans on a bigger scale to reach a wider audience.

2009 ( 1 March – 5 April) Makan Time Promotion : Buy 2 free 1 deal

2009 (19 – 20 June, 8 – 9 May) Ryoushin Special : Buy any ice-cream to get 50% off on the next purchase

2009 Kindori Fans Club : Membership card introduction

2009 (15 December 2009 – 10 Jan 2010) Christmas Special Promotion : Special promotional price for purchase of 3 flavours

2010 (23 January – 28 February) Chinese New Year Promotion : Buy any ice-cream to get 50% off on the next purchase

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2010 Promotion for new flavour, Durian

2010 Promotion for new flavour, Lime and Avocado

2010 Promotional flyer on Kindori in general

2010 (9 August – 9 September)- Raya Special : Free RM 5 cash vouchers with any purchase over RM 12

2010 (15 October – 16 November) – Buy 2 free 1 deal

2.13 Positioning Statement

Kindori Japanese Ice-cream is a healthy soft-serve ice-cream made fresh on the spot using blast frozen fruits and 100% milk base, providing nutritional health benefits and targeted for health conscious individuals seeking a natural, fruity ice-cream indulgence.

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