Branding Strategy for Food Business Startups

A business is nothing without a branding strategy. You could sell your homemade kuih raya in naked packaging with no labels in sight but you wouldn’t sell them well without the right branding. 

Even though branding has gone through countless growing trends and technology, it’s still the same marketing practice of any business – to create a name, symbol, or design that is easily identified and distinguished from other brands. 

That’s why you desperately need a food branding strategy to create an unforgettable impression on customers. If you don’t have your own unique brand, people won’t tell you apart from other similar brands. After all, being in such a limitless market, standing out from others is what makes your brand better than the rest.

What is the Best Branding Strategy for Food Business?

There are countless things you can do to spruce up your brand but you need quick startup branding packages to know the game inside and out. You’re too busy making sure your food product taste good to be thinking of the best branding strategy. 

We understand your situation very well. So here’s a brief list of marketing channels you can use to promote your growing business.

From bare to brilliance :

Food packaging label and design

Regardless of what you sell, it is a responsibility to state your product’s information.

As a food producer, you should display all the required labels proposed in the Food Regulations 1985 by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. It’s not just for legal purposes, food packaging branding also discloses your product’s ingredients, storage method, and certification to your consumers.

These are the regulations for your food package. It is a must to acknowledge and follow these particulars when branding food products in Malaysia:

  1. Illustrations
  2. Logos
  3. Your Product
  4. Quantity of food
  5. Ingredients
  6. Nutrition facts
  7. Manufacturer / Importer
  8. Expiration date
  9. Bar code
  10. Descriptions
  11. Instructions

New to this business? Get the food labelling guide for startups.

Point-of-sale design for food business

Standardized banners, posters, tissues, and cutleries will make your business look more established and reliable. Also, doing so is one way of branding for food business indirectly for your customers will remember your brand logo more purposeful.

Anything that’s done out of professionalism will run well and sustain in the long run.

Licensing and compliance

The implementation of business licenses and permits has always benefited business owners in some way or another. Especially in Malaysia, business start-ups are well encouraged and the government bodies are ready to guide and support aspiring entrepreneurs to kickstart their business journey provided your register under the Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM).

That being said, some of the business licenses that are needed to start a food business are:

  1. SSM
  2. Alcohol business licenses
  3. Business premise licenses
  4. Signboard license
  5. Income tax business licenses

Offline advertising for food business

If you are a small-scale business looking to grow and gain experience, then you can give an event display a go. As simple as putting up a booth and displaying your food products whilst visitors who enjoy food drop by your booth to know your brand story and critic on your products. The best part about expos is that you will be able to display your food products among international brands too. On top of that, such events attract tourists all around the world.

This is one of the food branding ideas as a branding strategy for startups. We call it a golden ticket to advertise your business offline.

As for the big-scaled businesses, you can be part of such food exhibitions and take part in billboard advertising for a bigger reach.

Vendor proposal for retailers

One of the ways for you to take your business to the next level is by getting your suppliers to sell your products to retailers and supermarkets. You can either supply the retailers with food products labeled with your own brand name or with unbranded products. The latter is known as ‘white label’ products in which retailers will sell them under their own brand or label such as Tesco’s Finest range.

Either option is possible unless your product is unique and the retailers are likely to prefer a white-label deal after looking at the potential of your product to expand and boost their own brand range. Specifically, there are many pros and cons for both sides of the business. You will need to think of which would bring you long-term benefits.


An Effective Branding Strategy for Food Businesses

Up till now, we’ve worked with many packaged food businesses from cooking pastes to refreshing flavored tea. All of them were either start-ups or looking to rebrand their products in hopes to reach a larger market.

For example, one of them is Yong Mama Prawn Crackers.

Basically, it didn’t take long for them to grow their food business branding successfully with plans to export globally.

Read their business journey – Yong Mama Prawn Muruku : The story begins 

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    DISCLAIMER

    This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Please opt for a one-to-one consultation with us or a relevant professional for your specific concerns regarding food business solutions in Malaysia before making any decisions.

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