What’s up folks!
Did you know that the UFO concept can be applied to the F&B industry as well?
I was kinda mind-blown when Kenneth showed this on his Facebook:
That’s a really unique way to brand and position durians…
If you’re not familiar with the fruit… It’s the one with spiky thorns and notorious for its smell — BELOVED by Asians willing to pay top dollar for it.
One thing I find really heartwarming is that we’re seeing a lot of these DR principles applied in other industries.
Like The Raya Collective can be a good old brick and mortar F&B shop where they just sell durians.
However, in light of the pandemic in Malaysia… they’ve adapted to sell durians eCom style where you can actually go to their online store, order it and they can deliver it to you.
This is really awesome…
Because if traditional F&B businesses can pivot into allowing their customers to order online via an eCom store… they can get a steady lifeline of customers daily.
These businesses would be saved and they can effectively cope with the pandemic affecting their sales.
Back to the topic of the Durian UFO… can you spot the Unique Fantasy Object here?
Unique – It’s aged. 30-49 years old. This is the same marketing we see in wine.
There are arguably more wine drinkers than durian fans… and they’re tapping into the insight that the older a tree is… the better its fruit would be.
Of course, what makes the fruit tasty depends on a whole lot of other factors… but age is one of them.
Fantasy – Musang King.
For some of you who aren’t into durians… Musang King is also known as “Cat Mountain King”.
It’s the best-selling durian right now in this space.
Other types of durians include Golden Phoenix, D24 and D13… but they’re nowhere as popular.
If you don’t live in Southeast Asia (Singapore or Malaysia), then I’d love for you to try this fruit at least once.
It’s an amazingly popular fruit in Singapore, Malaysia and even China.
To the point that it’s even a billion dollar industry in Malaysia to plant and sell durians (Yes… it’s a covid-proof business).
A good durian should have a good mix of bitter, creamy and sweet flavours.
Object – Shipping the durian to your home so you can enjoy it without having to travel.
Now, if you were to analyze the Unique and Fantasy component… we’re seeing a pattern here.
We’re seeing a top-grade durian of the highest quality (because of how it came from a tree that’s 30-49 years old).
This allows them to sell it at a far more expensive price than their competitors.
Kenneth told me he paid USD40 per kg for this “breed of durian” which is absolutely nuts. Even at prices of USD20 per kg, it’s still exorbitant.
Their design is also brilliant because it has a dark, minimalist touch which reflects its brand as a premier Durian farm.
I think there’s a lot to take away from this case study.
Apart from the concept of UFO… I think it’s gonna be pretty revolutionary if we can apply these WYODC Principles to traditional industries.
Taking whatever we have learned and then applying it to fit another industry or context.
This is a fantastic example.
Another example I can think of is the F&B brand “King Of Fried Rice” from Singapore.
They have a very strong UFO and they spread it through blogs, PR and foodie influencers.
Check out the F&B UFO in Singapore: “King of Fried Rice” here
That’s all guys.
I hope y’all got great value out of this.
Cheers,
Zach