PHD Malaysia expands relationship with FMCG brand Vinda

PHD Malaysia has added Singapore to its remit for the Vinda Malaysia business, effective Q1 2024. The agency now manages media duties across all Vinda brands, including Libresse, Drypers, Tena, and Vinda tissues, and on-site optimisation on Lazada and Shopee in Singapore. The remit expansion comes after PHD Malaysia demonstrated high involvement and passion for the Vinda business and brand, resulting in the client being satisfied and happy with the work.

Commenting on the expanded remit, David Soo, Managing Director, PHD Malaysia, said, “We are incredibly proud about the extension of our partnership with Vinda, a valued client who has been instrumental in our journey. This continued collaboration is a true testament to the effectiveness of our strategy, built on innovative solutions and a bold ambition to succeed. Their trust in our team further fuels our motivation to deliver exceptional results and push the boundaries of what is possible. Together, we are excited to embark on the next chapter of this rewarding partnership.”

Ian Ong, Marketing Innovation Director, Southeast Asia, Vinda Malaysia Sdn Bhd, said, “PHD Malaysia understands our business and works well with our team. Most importantly, the agency is not an ‘order taker’ but a good challenging partner in addressing our brand’s challenges. A strong team backed with the right tools and global support is the main reason why we extended our Singapore business to PHD.”

The agency first started working with Vinda in Malaysia last year and since then, Vinda’s Libresse has become the first feminine care brand to advertise on DOOH in the country. It also collaborated with Malaysia’s #1 TikTok creator Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, who goes by the handle @khairulaming, to increase market penetration of its tissue category.

Although its year-on-year growth was constantly driven by the sales of toilet rolls, Vinda still found it challenging to gain significant market share in Malaysia and be among the top two consumer tissue brands.

Vinda strove to capture the Malay market, which had negligible toilet paper usage but often used kitchen towels in their cooking. Therefore, its business goal was to penetrate the Malay market with kitchen towels to grow its market share. Its target audience was Malay females aged 25 to 44, who are mainly responsible for grocery decisions and home cooking.

Together with PHD Malaysia, the brand sought to demonstrate the quality of Vinda Deluxe’s dry and wet kitchen towels and justify the price difference using TikTok. The social media app presented a perfect opportunity as it was a platform Malays sought entertainment from, discovered brands, and were influenced to make purchases.

Khairul Amin was chosen for the collaboration due to his influence among the mass Malay audience stemming from his popular cooking shows on social media. This made him the ideal candidate to seed the advantages of Vinda Deluxe’s dry and wet kitchen towels into the minds of consumers aged 25 to 44.

PHD Malaysia and Vinda worked with Khairul Amin on one TikTok cooking video and two recipes – Ayam Goreng Bawang Putih and Telur Itik Masak Lemak Cili Api. The collaboration demonstrated the quality and value of the kitchen towels, showcasing their exceptional oil- absorbing and food-safe properties.

The video premiered on TikTok on 14 September 2023 and generated two million unique views within hours. It later went live on Facebook, Instagram, and X, further amplifying the initial buzz and encouraging consumers to rewatch and share. Within five days, the videos amassed 3.8 million unique views and has over 20 million views across the four platforms. Overall, the collaboration drove a 6.3% brand growth in the fourth quarter of 2023 against previous quarters.