Ong Tho condensed milk (Vinamilk) impresses at the Guangzhou Fair, China

Here, the "national" product of the national brand Vinamilk has attracted a large number of visitors and expanded new business opportunities, as soon as this market became vibrant again after a long period of applying the "zero Covid" policy.

The China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF) is an annual fair held in Guangzhou, the third largest city in this country of one billion people. This year's 18th fair has more than 5,000 domestic and international enterprises participating.

Focusing on its main product line, Ông Thọ condensed milk, in its first participation at this fair, Vinamilk showed the determination of its international business segment with Vinamilk's business goals for the last 6 months of the year.

The attraction of the "national" milk product of Vietnam's national brand

At this international fair in Guangzhou, Vinamilk's booth became an interesting highlight when focusing on only one product line, Ông Thọ condensed milk, an iconic product and brand of Vinamilk after nearly 50 years of establishment. A large number of visitors, including current business partners and new potential customers, came to Vinamilk's booth to meet and discuss the products in person. With diverse packaging and flavors, visitors also experienced drinks made from Ông Thọ condensed milk such as milk tea and Vietnamese milk coffee, which are popular among young Chinese people.

It is known that Vinamilk first introduced condensed milk products to the international market nearly 20 years ago. As one of its traditional strengths, up to now, more than 3,700 containers of condensed milk (equivalent to 250 thousand tons of products) have been exported to 35 countries and territories, bringing in export revenue of 235 million USD for Vinamilk.

In China alone, although the Vinamilk brand was only officially introduced here in 2019 and Ong Tho condensed milk was exported to this market in 2020, right at the time when it was greatly affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, the product was still trusted by partners and continued to be imported.

In Guangzhou, through partners who understand Vietnamese products and the Chinese market, Ông Thọ condensed milk is being distributed through various distribution channels, mainly in the wholesale channel, to restaurant customers, milk tea shops, cafes and is chosen by consumers as an ingredient for preparing drinks and desserts at home.

Milk coffee, smoothies, bread dipped in milk,... made with Ông Thọ milk are "nostalgic" dishes, especially for Vietnamese people living abroad. Now, they have become a special bridge to help this product be introduced more widely, not only in China but also in other countries such as Japan, Korea, Canada...

This year, Vinamilk and Ông Thọ condensed milk also brought impressive information to the fair when this is the first Vietnamese dairy product to achieve 3 stars for delicious taste from the international award The Superior Taste Award 2023 in Belgium. This product was evaluated by a jury of more than 200 experts, including prestigious chefs and sommeliers from Le Guide Michelin, Gault & Millau.

Further confirming this, according to Vinamilk's partner in China, there are two main factors that help Ong Tho condensed milk business grow steadily.“First, Vietnamese food and drinks are increasingly popular and loved in China. Second, Ông Thọ condensed milk has a delicious, distinctive flavor, consistent quality and has maintained its quality over many years, which has created prestige for the product, helping customers love it and feel secure in choosing to buy and use it,”Mr. Ha Hai Nam - Director of a product distribution unit - commented.

Focus on core products, develop niche markets

Condensed milk is Vinamilk's main product line, with a monthly production capacity of up to nearly 15 thousand tons (equivalent to 1.3 million cans of milk per day) and is also the most purchased condensed milk brand in the country.

Right from the first steps of exporting, in its product portfolio of more than 250 items, the export of Ông Thọ condensed milk was carefully selected and "tailored" by Vinamilk for a large but challenging market like China.

Not only in China but also in many exporting countries, this product plays a role as a product to explore and penetrate the market but also as a strategic item, to prove the stability of Vinamilk's quality. From there, the enterprise will, through strategic partners, open the market and stabilize export activities even in challenging periods such as the pandemic and the world economic situation has fluctuated greatly in the past 2 years.

Talking about the advantages of Vietnamese dairy products and the potential when approaching international markets, Vinamilk representative, Mr. Vo Trung Hieu, Director of International Business of Vinamilk, said that it is necessary to always focus on maintaining core products, promoting existing strengths. At the same time, invest in developing new products, developing niche markets with professional customer services.“The increased presence of Vietnamese products and brands with international consumers is also the key to promoting the export of Vietnamese enterprises more effectively, especially when penetrating markets that already have stable commodity economies and high demands for consumer products in general and food in particular” -Mr. Hieu added.

In the first 6 months of 2023 alone, Vinamilk participated in many major trade promotion activities, fairs, and exhibitions in regions & markets such as the Middle East, Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia... Combined with other customer relations activities, Vinamilk has successfully signed and implemented contracts with a total value of more than 100 million USD.

With the strategy of penetrating international markets with the "three-legged stool" of quality - price - service, Vinamilk is still a dairy enterprise showing active and effective activities in the export sector, with total accumulated export revenue to date reaching 3 billion USD with dozens of products exported to nearly 60 countries and territories around the world.