Growing a global brand

Building a global brand for products is a formidable task, but it remains a dream for both small and large companies.

Piyajit Ruckariyapong, the chief executive of Sappe Plc, the manufacturer of Sappe Beauti drink and Mogu Mogu fruit-flavoured beverages with nata de coco jelly coconut mix fruit juice, exemplifies this ambition.

Ms Piyajit spent a decade managing Sappe's finances before assuming the role of chief executive. In the past decade, Mogu Mogu drinks were exported to 50-60 countries. Under her leadership, this figure has expanded to 98 countries.

The distribution breakdown is: 18.2% from Thailand, 41.2% from Asia, 21% from Europe, 14.6% from the Middle East and other regions, and 5% from America.

"Mogu Mogu is now available in nearly half of the world's countries. We achieved considerable success in South Korea and France. Despite facing significant challenges in the Korean market for seven years, we never gave up," said Ms Piyajit.

"The recognition of Mogu Mogu in Korea has been excellent, and France has become one of our key markets. We intend to use France as a springboard to expand Mogu Mogu products throughout other European countries. In addition to offering a high-quality product, our strategy involves reaching customers faster than our competitors and maximising product exposure among consumers before embarking on brand building."

She emphasised that product innovation is a weapon in the battle against competitors, setting Sappe apart in the global market.

"As a small company, we prioritise agility and rapid decision-making, enabling us to succeed in the markets we enter. We not only export our products to different countries but also engage in in-store activities in select potential markets," said Ms Piyajit.

To ensure sustained growth, she stressed the importance of diversifying the product portfolio. Beyond functional drinks, Sappe has expanded to include fruit juice, functional powders, juice drinks, healthier snacks, and supplements.

"We aim to introduce a minimum of 20 new product items to the market each year. In addition to focusing on product and packaging innovation, building a strong organisational culture is crucial for us," said Ms Piyajit.

"Our ultimate goal is to establish a Thai brand that can compete on the global stage."

Collaboration with business partners is a key strategy she embraced to expand the company's customer base. Ms Piyajit set a target of achieving 10 billion baht in sales by 2026.

Founded in 1973, Sappe has 12 product brands in five categories created by Sappe players and business partners.

Beverage products from Sappe have been among the leaders in the functional drink market for more than a decade. Some drinks are made from Thai agricultural products, including Mogu Mogu, Sappe Aloe Vera and All Coco.

Ms Piyajit said Sappe is building a new automated warehouse, establishing a production line, and implementing a cost reduction scheme to cope with the new government’s pledge to raise the daily minimum wage.

The plans are expected to cost the company about 1 billion baht between this year and next, said Ms Piyajit.

Of the total spending, 300 million baht will be used to build a new automated warehouse in Pathum Thani province, with operations expected to start by the end of this year.

The remaining budget will be used to establish a new production line, support a cost reduction scheme and install new machines next year to support the company’s future growth, Ms Piyajit said.