DeeDo
{{Short description|Thai fruit juice brand}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Foodstar
| native_name = ฟู้ดสตาร์
| native_name_lang = th
| logo = Foodstar logo.png
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption = Foodstar logo
| image = DeeDo lychee juice.png
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = 1000-ml DeeDo lychee juice
| type = Private
| traded_as =
| industry = Beverage
| founded = {{Start date and age|1993}}
| founder = Chantra Pongsri
| hq_location = 58 Moo 6 Phraprathon-Banpaew Road, {{ill|Talat Chinda subdistrict|qid=Q16152039}}, Sam Phran district, Nakhon Pathom province
| hq_location_country = Thailand{{cite book |date=2023 |title=Factory Directory in Thailand 2024 |edition=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DnrcEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 |location=Bangkok |publisher=Comm Bangkok |via=Google Books |page=24 |isbn=978-616-94344-0-5 |accessdate=2024-02-18 }}
| brands = {{Hlist|DeeDo|Fruitku|Mikku}}
| website = {{URL|1=https://main.foodstar.co.th/en/home/}}
}}
DeeDo ({{langx|th|ดีโด้}}, {{IPA|th|dīːdôː|pron}}) is a Thai fruit juice brand. It is the primary product of Foodstar ({{langx|th|ฟู้ดสตาร์}}), a Nakhon Pathom-based company that also makes food and beverage products. It diversified beyond DeeDo fruit juices through its Mikku yogurt brand as well as by selling herbal teas, ice pops, and jelly. Foodstar's original products occupied the economy and super-economy segments of the fruit juice market. The company in 2021 released DeeDo Max C, a more premium product that contains double the amount of orange juice of the original product. Its products in 2023 could be purchased in 20 countries.
Along with seven friends and workers, Chantra Pongsri established Foodstar in 1993. They released the DeeDo brand in 1995 and broke even and began turning a profit four years later. To distinguish themselves from competitors entering the fruit juice market, Foodstar began creating television advertisements in 2006 and later used celebrity branding to promote its products. Foodstar partnered with the actor {{ill|Tasit Sinkanawiwat|zh|ฐสิษฐ์ สินคณาวิวัฒน์}} in 2008, the actor Saranyu Winaipanit in 2013, the Burmese actor Aung Ye Lin in 2016, the singer Jannine Weigel in 2016, the actor Mario Maurer in 2017, the actress {{ill|Supassra Thanachat|th|สุภัสสรา ธนชาต|zh|素帕莎娜·他那差}} in 2021, and the singers Ble Patumrach R-Siam and {{ill|Phuwasit Ananphonsiri|th|ภูวศิษฐ์ อนันต์พรสิริ}} in 2023.
History
Kitti Pongsri founded a company that sold instant noodles and wanted to diversify into other products. Noting that few Thai companies sold fruit juice, he decided it was the right product.{{cite magazine |last=Dasri |first=Chayanit ชญานิจฉ์ ดาศรี |date=2018-05-23 |title=จันทรา พงศ์ศรี ฟู้ดสตาร์ชื่นใจไร้พรมแดน |trans-title=Chantra Pongsri, Foodstar, joy without borders |language=th |url=https://forbesthailand.com/people/entrepreneurs/จันทรา-พงศ์ศรี-ฟู้ดสตาร์ |magazine=Forbes Thailand |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061509/https://forbesthailand.com/people/entrepreneurs/จันทรา-พงศ์ศรี-ฟู้ดสตาร์ |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} His daughter, Chantra Pongsri, recruited seven friends and workers to found Foodstar in 1993.{{cite news |last=Rinwong |first=Savitri สาวิตรี รินวงษ์ |date=2016-02-16 |title='จันทรา พงศ์ศรี' ปั้นแบรนด์' ดีโด้' ยึดสูตร..ไม่ประมาท |trans-title='Chantra Pongsri' creates the 'DeeDo' brand, adhering to the formula of not being careless |language=th |url=https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/687240 |newspaper=Krungthep Turakij |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061516/https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/687240 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} The founders came from a food and beverage background, having previously worked at the seasoning powder brand Fa Thai ({{langx|th|ฟ้าไทย}}) and the instant noodle brand Wai Wai. The company began selling the fruit juice brand DeeDo to consumers in 1995. It took four years after DeeDo's launch for company to break-even and start turning a profit. International consumers initially became familiar with Foodstar's products through border trade, and the company in 2011 started exporting its goods. For instance, after two to three years of border trade with Myanmar, Foodstar partnered with the distributors MK Distribution and Honestly Business Enterprise to sell the products directly to customers.
After conducting a test on Foodstar's DeeDo juice in 2014, Myanmar's Ministry of Cooperatives discovered it had been tainted by coliform bacteria and mould.{{cite news |date=2014-03-14 |title=Myanmar inspects Thai firm's juice for coliform |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30229231 |newspaper=The Nation |id={{ProQuest|1507460670}} |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061737/https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30229231 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Farmers in 2015 said that a Foodstar factory in the {{ill|Khlong Chinda subdistrict|qid=Q23296529}} of Sam Phran district in Nakhon Pathom province had discharged wastewater, resulting in rancid smells and ruining their products. After four months of Foodstar's not resolving the problem, the farmers demonstrated at the factory. They obstructed the entrance and exit, held signs, shouted through loudspeakers, and used a bulldozer to barricade the road.{{cite news |date=2015-07-16 |title=เกษตรกรสามพรานสุดทนนำรถยนต์ เต็นท์ปิดถนนหน้าโรงงาน "ดีโด้" ประท้วงปล่อยน้ำเน่าเสียทำพืชไร่พังพินาศ (ชมคลิป) |trans-title=Samphran farmers can't bear to bring cars Tent blocks the road in front of the "Deedo" factory to protest the release of polluted water causing destruction of crops (watch clip) |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9580000080699 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061642/https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9580000080699 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}{{cite news |date=2015-07-26 |title=ยังไม่จบ! ศึกน้ำเสียระหว่างชาวบ้าน-โรงงานดีโด้ |trans-title=It's not over yet! Wastewater battle between villagers and DeeDo factory |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9580000084404 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061611/https://mgronline.com/local/detail/9580000084404 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Foodstar said that a construction firm it had contracted to enlarge the factory in April had pumped water into the canal after there had been a downpour but that the current polluted water did not originate from the factory.
Fruit juice made up ฿12.5{{nbsp}}billion (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|12500000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) of Thailand's economy in 2015, and the economy juice sector made up 40.3% of that. Taking 16.8% of the economy juice sector, Foodstar's DeeDo fruit juice brand ranked second behind the Minute Maid Pulpy owned by The Coca-Cola Company.{{cite news |last=Jitpleecheep |first=Pitsinee |date=2015-04-23 |title=Ichitan turns on the juice with relaunch of Bireley's |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/538159/ichitan-turns-on-the-juice-with-relaunch-of-bireley |newspaper=Bangkok Post |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240218061718/https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/538159/ichitan-turns-on-the-juice-with-relaunch-of-bireley |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Foodstar's revenue was ฿3{{nbsp}}billion (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|3000000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) in 2017 and between 35% and 40% of its revenue came from exports. Around 2018, the company upgraded its equipment to reduce manufacturing expenses. The new machinery could assemble 600 bottles per minute up from 200 per minute. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, the company experienced a drop in sales since customers experienced more financial challenges.{{cite news |date=2021-05-20 |title="ฟู้ดสตาร์" ขยายฐานตลาดน้ำผลไม้ ปั้น "Deedo Max C" ลุยกลุ่มพรีเมียม |trans-title="Foodstar" expands its fruit juice market base by creating "DeeDo Max C" to enter the premium segment. |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9640000048838 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061802/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9640000048838 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}
Foodstar has 15 distribution centers in Thailand. Centers are located in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chumphon, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Songkhla, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, and Udon Thani, as well as in Bangkok at {{ill|Rom Klao Road|th|ถนนร่มเกล้า}}.{{cite news |date=2021-04-28 |title=ฟู้ดสตาร์ บริจาคข้าวสาร 2,000 ถุง ช่วยสมาคมแท็กซี่ ผ่าน ก.แรงงาน |trans-title=Foodstar intensively tutors sales team to deal with COVID |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9640000040444 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061659/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9640000040444 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} The distribution centers each cost about ฿200{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) to build.{{cite news |date=2013-01-31 |title="ดีโด้" ทุ่มพันล้านเสริมแกร่ง ขยายกำลังผลิต-ดีซีรับเออีซี |trans-title="DeeDo" invests billions, strengthening the factory to expand production capacity - DC welcomes AEC |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9560000012482 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061701/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9560000012482 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} The company has a {{convert|120|rai|m2 ft2|adj=on}} factory in the Sam Phran district of the Nakhon Pathom province. To upgrade the equipment at its factory, Foodstar spent between ฿200{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) and ฿300{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|300000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) in 2022. The purpose was to prepare the company for increased local and foreign sales of its products. The company's goods could be purchased in 20 countries in 2023 including China, India, the Philippines, and the United States. Foodstar that year had revenue of ฿800{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|800000000|THA|round=yes}}}}).{{cite news |last=Jitpleecheep |first=Pitsinee |date=2023-08-03 |title=Foodstar in B200m range makeover. Marketing campaign takes aim at youth |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2622529/foodstar-in-b200m-range-makeover |newspaper=Bangkok Post |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240218061707/https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2622529/foodstar-in-b200m-range-makeover |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}
Products
Foodstar's products are economy and super-economy goods, meaning they operate in the lower-priced market.{{cite news |last=Rinwong |first=Savitri สาวิตรี รินวงษ์ |date=2020-08-06 |title='ฟู้ดสตาร์' ห่วงกำลังซื้อรากหญ้า ทุบ! ตลาดน้ำผลไม้อีโคโนมี |trans-title='Foodstar' worried about grassroots purchasing power, hit! Economy Juice Market |language=th |url=https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/892606 |newspaper=Krungthep Turakij |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061736/https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/892606 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Foodstar's primary product is DeeDo, a brand of fruit juice that it produces and distributes. Aiming to attract new customers, it expanded the products it makes, also selling yoghurt drinks, ice pops, and jelly. Its yogurt brand is called Mikku and includes the flavors blueberry and orange.{{cite news |date=2020-01-27 |title="ดีโด้" ส่งผลิตภัณฑ์เครื่องดื่มรสนมเปรี้ยว "มิกกุ" 2 รสใหม่ |trans-title="DeeDo" delivers 2 new flavors of yogurt flavored drink "Mikku" |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9630000008643 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061907/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9630000008643 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Targeting customers who were entering the job market, Foodstar in 2015 started selling herbal teas with the flavors chrysanthemum, roselle, and tamarind.{{cite news |date=2015-02-15 |title="ดีโด้" ผุดคอนเทนต์-ลุยจัดเลี้ยง ปั้นแบรนด์ใหม่รุกวัยเริ่มทำงาน |trans-title="DeeDo" releases content - goes into catering. Creating a new brand, starting to work |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9580000019654 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061922/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9580000019654 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} The next year, they released the brand Fruitku, a fruit juice containing coconut gel.{{cite news |date=2016-01-29 |title="DeeDo" promotes fruit juice in ASEAN, investing 200 million to expand and expand product lines to compete |trans-title="ดีโด้" โหมน้ำผลไม้ในอาเซียน ทุ่ม 200 ล้าน ลุย-ขยายไลน์สินค้าสู้ |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9590000010073 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061804/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9590000010073 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Foodstar in 2021 launched DeeDo Max C, a more premium beverage product. The drink had double the amount of orange juice as the original product and 200% vitamin C. It was sold in three citrus flavors: mandarin orange, yuzu, and calamansi. The company planned to add candy such as gummy candy to the products it sells.{{cite news |date=2023-08-02 |title="ฟู้ดสตาร์"ซุ่มลุยตลาดลูกอม-สแน็ก "ดีโด้"เร่งขยายตปท.เจาะมิดเดิ้ลอีสต์ |trans-title="Foodstar" lurks into the candy-snack market. "DeeDo" rushes to expand overseas, penetrating the Middle East |language=th |url=https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9660000069265 |newspaper=Manager Daily |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061813/https://mgronline.com/business/detail/9660000069265 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}{{cite news |date=2023-08-01 |title='ฟู้ดสตาร์' ดันแบรนด์น้ำผลไม้ไทยสู่โลก เจาะสหรัฐ-ซาอุฯดันรายได้ตปท.50% |trans-title='Foodstar' pushes Thai fruit juice brands to the world. Drilling into United States-Saudi Arabia to boost foreign income by 50% |language=th |url=https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/business/1081478 |newspaper=Krungthep Turakij |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061821/https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/business/1081478 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}
A substantial portion of the people who consume Foodstar products are children and teenagers. Foodstar's leaders were worried that sales of the company's products would drop owing to teenagers' focus on fitness, Thailand's aging population, and sugary drink taxes. They planned to create new products to cater to consumers' desire for healthier food and beverage options.
Marketing
More beverage competitors started to enter the market roughly eight years after the Foodstar brand DeeDo began being sold in 1995. To distinguish itself from other brands, Foodstar started investing in television advertisements, posting its first in 2006. Its early ads aired on animated cartoon channels. Foodstar subsequently began celebrity branding campaigns, partnering with actors who performed on the most popular drama series. They hired the actor {{ill|Tasit Sinkanawiwat|th|ฐสิษฐ์ สินคณาวิวัฒน์}}, who started endorsing their products in advertisements in 2008. During their 20th anniversary year in 2013, Foodstar invested more than ฿100{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|100000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) on marketing, hiring Saranyu Winaipanit to promote their products including in a commercial. Focusing their marketing on teenagers, the company sponsored DeeDo High School Band, a 13-week television show on Channel 3's {{ill|Channel 3 Family|th|ช่อง 3 แฟมิลี}}. The program aired on Saturdays between May and August 2015 and allowed students in matthayom 1–6 to compete. The company invested ฿200{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) on marketing in 2016, spending ฿100{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|100000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) on creating a commercial with the singer Jannine Weigel with the theme "because we belong together". Aiming to attract teenagers who lived in cities, Foodstar modernized its products' packaging. The company changed the shape of its bottles from square to round. It secured a license to feature characters from the manga series Doraemon on its products.
In 2017, Foodstar spent ฿200{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) on creating a television advertisement starring the actor Mario Maurer. Aiming to promote its products in ASEAN countries, the company aired the Maurer commercial in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The ad's theme was "passing on freshness ... satisfaction anywhere, everywhere".{{cite news |date=2017-04-26 |title=ดีโด้ประกาศเตรียมบุกตลาดอาเซี่ยน CLMV |trans-title=DeeDo announces preparations to invade the ASEAN market, CLMV |language=th |url=https://www.thansettakij.com/business/144220 |newspaper={{ill|Thansettakij|th|ฐานเศรษฐกิจ}} |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218062015/https://www.thansettakij.com/business/144220 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Foodstar partnered with the Burmese actor Aung Ye Lin to promote its products in Myanmar, where the company held a sweepstake containing prizes like the iPhone 6 and cash prizes. The actor Chanon Santinatornkul was recruited as brand sponsor in 2019, aiming to interest youth in their products.{{cite news |date=2019-11-05 |title=ดีโด้ ดึง "นนกุล" นั่งพรีเซนเตอร์ เจาะวัยทีน |trans-title=DeeDo brings in "Nonkul" to sit as a presenter, targeting teenagers. |language=th |url=https://www.thansettakij.com/business/413919 |newspaper={{ill|Thansettakij|th|ฐานเศรษฐกิจ}} |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061916/https://www.thansettakij.com/business/413919 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} After launching the more premium drink DeeDo Max C, Foodstar hired the actress {{ill|Supassra Thanachat|th|สุภัสสรา ธนชาต|zh|素帕莎娜·他那差}} to promote the product to youths.{{cite news |last=Rinwong |first=Savitri สาวิตรี รินวงษ์ |date=2021-05-21 |title="น้ำผลไม้" ราคาประหยัดโตแรง "ฟู้ดสตาร์" ปั้น "ดีโด้ แมกซ์ ซี" ดันเป้ารายได้ 64 โต 20% |trans-title="Fruit juice" at economical prices is growing strongly. "Foodstar" creates "DeeDo Max C" to push revenue target to 64, growing 20%. |language=th |url=https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/939496 |newspaper=Krungthep Turakij |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218061848/https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/business/939496 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }}
For its 30th anniversary year, Foodstar allocated ฿200{{nbsp}}million (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|THA|round=yes}}}}) to spend on marketing.{{cite news |date=2023-05-04 |title="ดีโด้" ทุ่ม 200 ล้าน อัพลุคใหม่ปลุกกระแสซัมเมอร์ |trans-title="DeeDo" spends 200 million to give a new look to wake up the summer trend. |language=th |url=https://www.thansettakij.com/business/marketing/564069 |newspaper={{ill|Thansettakij|th|ฐานเศรษฐกิจ}} |accessdate=2024-02-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218062033/https://www.thansettakij.com/business/marketing/564069 |url-status=live |archivedate=2024-02-18 }} Aiming to attract younger customers, the company spent some of the money in 2023 to redesign the packing and logo of Deedo and other offerings to look better and be more contemporary. Another portion of the funds was spent on a "lucky draw". Foodstar signed partnerships with the singers Ble Patumrach R-Siam and {{ill|Phuwasit Ananphonsiri|th|ภูวศิษฐ์ อนันต์พรสิริ}} to sponsor and advertise DeeDo.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://main.foodstar.co.th/en/home/ Official website]
Category:1993 establishments in Thailand
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1993