Embracing nostalgia with Horoyoi Hapikle

Suntory Taiwan wins at the 2022 FMCG Asia Awards.

Established brands are always pushed to develop new products or refine their existing line-ups in order to satisfy the evolving needs and demands of customers. Suntory Taiwan recognised that in order to maintain their position at the top, they needed to innovate their brand, and as a result, their release of Horoyoi Hapikle earned them the Product Launch of the Year - Taiwan Award at the 2022 FMCG Asia Awards.

The awards programme recognises companies and innovators that have introduced revolutionary services or products that have brought success to their operations, Suntory Taiwan Limited’s Horoyoi Hapikle has re-established their brand as the preferred choice in the RTD market, distinguishing them from their competitors.

Despite Horoyoi dominating the Taiwanese RTD market for years on end, the brand has seen its growth momentum plateau as the brand's market share has been cannibalised by other low ABV% beverage competitors within the market.

This situation presented the company with the challenge of outperforming their competitors with their diverse product line-up, the majority of which are based on appealing flavours for the female drinker market. The question became a matter of attracting more entry drinkers from the younger generation in order to accelerate the stagnated growth of Horoyoi, as capturing a larger share of the market can solidify the brand’s dominance.

The Horoyoi Hapikle flavour was introduced into the market as a "nostalgic flavour" for entry drinkers as a result of the development and culmination of Suntory's talents, with consumers feeling Horoyoi as "a chu-hi that's easy to drink for a buzz to relax themselves," becoming the leading choice for drinkers to unwind.

Local consumers resonated with the brand and its newest product, leading to more entry-level drinkers picking up Horoyoi and its brand pool and capturing 44% of the Taiwanese RTD market category as sales grew by 33% and brand awareness rocketed by 80% amongst the younger generation.

The FMCG Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2023 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the FMCG industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].