Register for a trademark to protect your business.

A trademark is your brand identity. In fact, it is what differentiates your product or service from others.

While having a trademark is not compulsory, all businesses are strongly encouraged to register for one.

This allows you to legally protect your brand identity from being misused by irresponsible parties, among other reasons.

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Steps to Register for a Trademark

The process of trademark registration can roughly take up to 18 months. It can take longer if you don’t go through the proper steps.

But, don’t worry because we are here to help you.

So, here’s our step-by-step guide on how to register for a trademark in Malaysia.

Step 1: Select a suitable trademark to register

There is a common misconception that trademark only means logo but it is actually more than that.

According to the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), a trademark means any sign capable of being represented graphically which is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings.

That includes any word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of these things that identifies your products or services.

However, not everything is eligible for a trademark.

The non-registrable trademarks include:

Prohibited Marks	If the use of which is likely to confuse or deceive the public or is contrary to law.
Scandalous or Offensive Matter	If it contains or comprises any scandalous or offensive matter or would not otherwise be entitled to protection in any court of law.
Prejudicial to the Interest or Security of the Nation	Registrar bears the responsibility of determining the trademark, whether it might be prejudicial to the interest or security of the nation. It may be that a mark contains an inflammatory statement or words.

If your trademark falls under the above categories, your application is most likely to be rejected.

Therefore, choose a trademark that complies with the Malaysian Trademarks Act 2019 for a smoother process.

Step 2: Conduct a trademark search

Moreover, your trademark should be distinctive and must not be identical or substantially similar to any existing trademarks.

This is to make sure there won’t be any conflicts that can delay the registration process.

Hence, why a comprehensive trademark search is highly advisable before filling out the application.

Furthermore, a search will also allow you to check if your trademark is available for registration.

Step 3: File a trademark application

The official process begins when you file for a trademark application.

To file for an application, you will need to fill out the TM5 form with the following information:

• Full name and address of the applicant
• Representation of the trademark (if it is other than normal typescript)
• Class number
• List of goods or services for which the trademark will apply
• Statutory Declaration

Step 4: Examination by the Registrar

After filing the trademark application, the registrar will examine your application for any irregularities during the Formality Review.

If there are any, you will be given the opportunity to correct the irregularities.

The Formality Review is then followed by a substantive examination.

During this phase, the registrar will examine your application to ensure that all requirements for legal registration have been met.

Step 5: Application approval or rejection

If your trademark application complies with all the requirements under the Trademarks Act 2019, you will receive a letter of approval.

On the other hand, if your application is rejected, you will be able to respond to the refusal either by sending an appeal letter or applying for an ex-parte hearing.

When your trademark finally fulfils the requirements, it will be published in the Government Gazette.

At this point, should anyone plan to reject or oppose the trademark registration, they can do so within two months.

If there is no objection, the trademark will be registered.

Step 6: Trademark Registration

Once your trademark has been successfully registered, you will obtain a certificate of registration.

The trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of application and is renewable for every 10 years thereafter.

Next read: Forbidden Claims on Product Labels in Malaysia

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Register for a Trademark Seamlessly

All in all, the process of registering for a trademark can be complicated and challenging.

Regardless, every business should try to register for a trademark since it is important to uphold your brand identity.

Still clueless? No worries, we can help!

Our trademark services help you through a smooth trademark application until you have your very own trademark.

To start, fill in your details below and our expert advisor will contact you shortly!

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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.

Gut-some Awesome Kombucha

Brewing your mind away with kombucha

In recent years, kombucha drinks gradually made their mark in Malaysia.

Quite frankly, the unique flavors of kombucha perfectly matched Malaysians’ exotic tastebuds.

Powwow Marketing quickly realized the potential of this healthy drink and decided to brew their own delicious concoction.

Although fairly new, the team was clever to strategize their flavors to catch the hearts of locals.

Soon enough, their efforts of brewing a total of 5 amazing flavors showed promise and they bloomed instantly in the market.

Making first impressions count

Powwow Marketing first sold Gutyourcha in local areas around Puchong since Kombucha has particular storage conditions. Not long after, people outside the vicinity had a taste and desperately craved more!

It also helped that they started collaborating with different vendors and selling Gutyourcha in convenience stores in town. This drastically brought in new customers and a large number of them instantly became regulars.

Because of the growing numbers, they decided it was time to upgrade their packaging and brand image. The team hired us to professionally design a label that perfectly complemented their colorful and refreshing flavors.

The smart step to stay winning

Powwow Marketing was confident that its brand would grow leaps and bounds. To make sure nothing bit their back in the near future, we had to help them do it right the first time.

So, we took it upon ourselves to not only design an incredible design for their 5 fantastic flavors but also made sure the labels were compliant with the Malaysian Food Regulations.

Our team of food label advisors took the time to carefully review all their product details and worked together to find the best way to market their products according to the set rules.

Once everything was in order and the Powwow Marketing was happy, the kombucha label design was ready to go!

Nutrition lab test for nutrient content information

It is known that almost every product label must have a nutrition facts label, including kombucha drinks.

We worked closely with our certified nutrition analysis lab in Malaysia from sample collection to getting the confirmed analysis report.

Everything went smoothly and quickly while we gave frequent updates to the Powwow Marketing team on their Gutyourcha sample analysis.

A nutrient information panel (NIP) informs health-conscious consumers know the exact nutrient content.  But it also serves as a reference for Powwow Marketing to improve their recipe in the future.

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Future Plans for Powwow Marketing

Maintaining quality and growing their network

There aren’t many kombucha drinks in the Malaysian market but it is slowly increasing. It was a smart move by Powwow Marketing to hire us for their labeling project to keep risks at a minimum.

Now, with the new and improved creative label design, their team has gained more business deals with other up-and-coming businesses to further market their brand.

It is safe to say that Powwow Marketing’s Gutyourcha drinks will definitely be in more stores and even restaurants in the near future. Goodluck Gutyourcha!

For more information or to order online, head over to Gutyourcha online marketplace.

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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.

Lemo Billie Origins

Producer of 100% pure anchovies powder

Yein Pretty Mama Hub was founded by a budding entrepreneur, Yvonne. She lived in a busy environment surrounded by hard-working people, some of who wouldn’t even have the time to make simple yet delicious food.

Dining in restaurants, ordering food, and takeaways were considered a norm in the hustle and bustle of big cities. She knew it had become her mission to make a product that would make cooking tasty food finally simple.

Pure Anchovy Powder for All

Her Process for Perfection

From a mere idea, Yvonne took it upon herself to make handmade wholesome food to share with others.

She managed to find a reliable supplier of fresh anchovies straight from the fishery in Pangkor. Pulau Pangkor is known as the No. 1 place for quality ikan bilis so that was her advantage.

She cleaned and rinsed each anchovy thoroughly with purified water to ensure there were no impurities before dehydrating them at a low temperature. Then, the dehydrated anchovies are ground into a fine powder.

The fine powder is sifted and checked for any foreign material before Yvonne fills them in a tightly sealed jar that has been cleaned and sterilized for maximum freshness.

Realizing the potential in her product

Not long after promoting her product to close friends and family, word got around, and soon she had regular customers from all around the country, mostly from her Shopee store.

It was an added convenience that each jar of anchovies powder she made could last months which customers really appreciated.

Because of the growing numbers, Yvonne decided it was time to upgrade her packaging. She hired us to professionally design the perfect label to market her product and reach a wider audience.

Taking the extra step to upgrade her product

Not only did she hire us to design a new packaging for her anchovies powder, but we also assisted her in creating a Food Regulation compliant label.

We reviewed all her product details carefully for any violations that could harm her brand in the future. In addition to this, we also gave her helpful suggestions that followed the rules set by the Food Regulations.

After a few revisions, her beloved product was ready to go!

Nutrition facts for health-conscious consumers

One of the regulations was to present a Nutrient Information Panel (NIP) on the product label. Since this was crucial to market her product, we assisted her from sample collection to designing the nutrition facts label on the anchovy powder packaging.

The overall process was quick and smooth with the courtesy of our certified nutrition analysis laboratory in Malaysia. Besides letting her consumers know the nutrient content of her product, Yvonne could use this data to improve her anchovy powder in the future.

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Lemo Billie Future Plans

Now sold on retail shelves in Johor!

Once our packaging and labeling project with Yvonne was complete, she had the opportunity to sell her product in a retail store MR SOTONG BENTONG STAR (BENTONG GINGER SUPPLIER) in Bentong, Pahang.

We were very excited to hear the news and congratulated her success selling on shelves.

Now, as a small home-based business, Yvonne is currently focusing on expanding her production to cater to her growing consumer base. 

Therefore, Yvonne has made it her mission to produce more wholesome products and enhance her business with the right marketing strategies.

For more information or to order online, head over to Lemo Billie online marketplace.

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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.

Kantan Food Origins

Kantan Food finds its own silver lining during the pandemic

Ming, the founder of Kantan Food, has had the idea of selling ready to cook paste for several years but it wasn’t realized until MCO (Movement Control Order) happened last year.

Ming was working as a caterer, catering to two hostel canteens at that time. It wasn’t until schools were forced to close to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 that Ming had to resort to other means of business.

With good responses from family and friends, Ming decided to venture into the instant cooking paste business. So, Kantan Food’s ready to cook pastes were born.

Growing their Business

Relying on social media to reach out to customers

What started out as merely an idea has finally bloomed into a business. Kantan Food is steadily growing, slowly but surely. 

Due to the MCO, they were unable to do physical marketing such as roadshows and exhibitions. But that didn’t stop them from reaching out to customers. Instead, they turned to digital marketing. 

As of now, they use social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach out to customers. Thus, they were able to target housewives, small families, young parents with young kids, and age groups above the 30s.

Continuously evolving and expanding

Heirloom recipes that were passed down to Ming from his mother, Aunty Annie, are used to make Kantan Food signature products, the instant cooking paste in Malaysia. It started out with only two recipes.

Now, they added four more recipes so altogether there are six products for customers to choose from. All of these recipes are customers’ favorites. 

However, Kantan Food won’t stop there. They are actively looking out for opportunities to add more recipes to provide more variety to their customers.

Making the Packaging More Appealing

Kantan Food decided to repackage its food paste packaging to make it more appealing to customers. They initially packed the paste in a glass jar with a regular text sticker.

The initial idea was to be different than similar products sold in the market. However, Ming’s wife, Carly disliked the idea and suggested that they put pictures of the product on the packaging.

Kantan Food takes every suggestion to improve their products seriously no matter how small it is so eventually they changed the packaging.

This Malaysian food paste is now packed in a paper box with the actual meal displayed on the packaging. The colors of the packaging are in pastel colors because the founder is fond of pastel colors which he thinks customers will appreciate.

Better Packaging for Better Quality

Not only to make the products more appealing to customers but there were also other factors that were taken into consideration when redesigning the packaging. They wanted to make the cooking paste last longer.

Kantan Food’s instant pastes contain zero preservatives. Therefore, with glass jar packaging, it was difficult to maintain the quality of the paste because there was no sterilization process and vacuum packing to get rid of bacteria.

Because of that, they couldn’t ship nationwide and overseas as the paste will turn bad during the shipping process. On top of that, glass jar breaks easily and is more costly than paper packaging, especially during shipping.

However, the new paper packaging resolves all these problems and issues. Not only it is more appealing, but it is also more convenient for them and their customers.

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Kantan Food Process to Make the Best Instant Paste

Coming out with quality products is not an effortless task

Kantan Food reached out to a MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) consultant. They also attended courses to create top-quality products.

They learned how to make the product safe to consume through proper heating and sterilization processes. To achieve this, they underwent several R&D (Research and Development) processes in the span of a few months. 

A proper heating process with the right temperature and the right duration is crucial to kill the bacteria and prevent them from growing inside the food pastes packaging.

For the sterilization process, they use a medium scaled sterilization machine that can sterilize 200 to 300 packages per round which will usually take 2 hours to complete. Sterilization is important to ensure no microorganisms growth inside the packaging. 

Preserving the Authentic Malaysian Taste

100% Malaysian food products

Since they are working on their food brand marketing on a bigger scale to fit the demands of customers, they have to use machines to produce the paste and that includes chop, blend and stir the ingredients. 

Nevertheless, efforts were made to make sure these ready-to cook meals in Malaysia stay genuine. All of their different cooking pastes such as Rendang, Fish Curry, and Assam Pedas are made with fresh and local ingredients to maintain the localized flavors. 

They always make sure to buy the ingredients from local markets to ensure the products are 100% authentic Malaysian food products that their customers love.

These ingredients include the most authentic Malaysian flavors such as sambal belacan, kantan, turmeric leaves, and more.

Keeping Kantan Food Genuine

The ready to cook cooking paste business of course has its own competitors. There are a lot of established and booming businesses selling instant cooking paste in the market. However, Kantan Food doesn’t falter because they believe that their products have their own specialty. 

Most instant cooking paste suppliers, especially the big ones, put preservatives in their products so they last longer on the shelf.

However, pastes that have preservatives will change the original taste. Kantan Food’s food marketing strategy includes cooking paste that has no preservatives at all. They want to retain the original Malaysian taste.

Therefore, their products have their own loyal customers who have grown to love the genuine taste of pastes with zero preservatives.

Keeping Kantan Food Healthy

Besides, it is also more on the unhealthy side due to all the chemicals put into the paste. That is why Kantan Food decides to not use preservatives. They want to produce only healthy products for their customers.

Worry about the shelf life? Don’t worry. Kantan Food has it covered. They make it their utmost priority to make sure no bacteria will be able to grow inside the packaging of their products through the sterilization process thus making their products last longer. 

Their paste can last for at least 2 years as long as the paste is not exposed to bacteria. So, all you ever need is just a proper racking system to store the unopen paste at room temperature in order to keep it safe and fresh.

However, do note that the paste must be kept in the refrigerator once opened to avoid exposure to heat and bacteria.

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Kantan Food Future Plans

Since their business is fairly new, they want to focus more on instant paste marketing and branding as an instant paste manufacturer in the Malaysian markets.

To do that, first, they must acquire a halal certification as one of the food marketing strategies targetting the Muslim market and at the same time ease expansion.

Like any other business, their long-term goal is definitely to expand globally. However, the current goal is to have more domestic customers before they can expand their business overseas. That is why they are also growing as an OEM paste manufacturer in Malaysia.

Finally, they want to be the brand that people will remember when they think of authentic ready-to-cook paste.

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A Bit of Advice for Future Business Owners

Kantan Food also shared a bit of advice for future business owners in marketing food products. Especially those wishing to venture into the paste manufacturing business.

“Just go for it. It’s the first step that’s the hardest where you need to step out of your comfort zone.”

Kantan Food decided to go become a paste manufacturer in Malaysia and instant cooking paste supplier despite the pandemic. So if they can do it, others can also do it.

Be the brands that people will remember generations over for their authentic and genuine taste.

For more information or to order online, head over to Kantan Food official website.

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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.

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.

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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.