Vitamilk presenters display three new favours of the soy drink – Vitamilk high calcium, Vitamilk big 300ml and Vitamilk mix – at the SF Cinema at Central Lat Phrao yesterday.

Green Spot (Thailand), producer and distributor of Vitamilk brand soy milk, has revised its estimated sales growth this year from 15 per cent down to 13 per cent, due to wavering economic conditions and lower-than-expected growth in the first six months.

The company's general man-ager for marketing. Chanit Suwanparin, said growth in the national soy milk market was

only 19 per cent in the first half

of the year compared with 27

per cent last year, when Vitamilk sales totalled Bt3 billion.

"Consumption has fallen because people are concerned about their future earnings," he said. "As a result, most consumer products have shown only slight sales growth in the first half of the year."

However, the company be-lieves its sales will meet the re-vised target, or achieve higher-than-estimated market growth, particularly with the launch yesterday of three new Vitamilk flavours.

The new flavours will target the teenage market and health-conscious consumers. They are Vitamilk high calcium, Vitamilk big 300ml and Vitamilk mix, the last being a combination of soy milk and corn milk.

Chanit said the company planned to spend Bt100 million to promote the three new products by using a sport-oriented marketing campaign with the slogan, "We are ready mentally and physically. We can do it". A television advertising campaign will begin next month.

Following the launch of its new products, Green Spot believes it will retain its 65-per-cent share of the Bt6.5-billion soymilk market.

"Our new products will expand into the teenage and health-consciousness markets, and that will make us different from our competitors and we will maintain our market share," Chanit said.

Somluck Srimalee

 The Nation