Another Price Increase???

Nestle have announced another price increase for the ever popular Nescafe and other ranges of everyday Malaysian favourites. It is no wonder their share price keep increasing as shareholders are getting happier with greater profits!

The rumour is already in the market right now and will take effect by next month soonest. We will get you more details of this development as soon as we can get our hands on something more concrete. Stay tune for further notice with us.

Milo Sejuk

Nestle Products has introduced a Milo Sejuk pre-mix stick packet product specially formulated to dissolve in cold water and easy to prepare that children can do it themselves.


"Just tear the stick packet, pour the ingredients into a glass, add cold water and you have our cold Milo drink," said Nestle Products' executive director for coffee and beverages unit Don Howat at the launching of Milo Sejuk at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara here yesterday.

"It's like getting a cold Milo drink from our Milo vans but with this stick packet product, you can do it yourself almost everywhere without having to queue to get it from a Milo van."

Howat said the 'straight off-the-van' Milo Sejuk have the same goodness as other Milo products such as Protomalt and Antigen-E and skimmed milk powder which is a good source of energy for a balanced diet.
"Milo has captivated families around the world for six decades and we have high expectations for Milo Sejuk to be as popular as a cup of hot Milo."

Milo Sejuk retails for RM11 per box of 15 stick packets (with complimentary free glass while stocks last) and RM5 for a box of six stick packs.

Nestle Price Increase

Updated : 16 April 2011
We just got confirmation on the price increase! Attached is the letter of confirmation by Nestle!

Not only have they increase the price, they have also set the minimum price hypermarkets can sell our favourite products! They call it the Brand Equity Policy for Diamond SKUs! Looks like we are now forced to pay more for Nestle products!

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Price increase on Milo confirmed along with many other products!

Milo
Nescafe
Coffeemate
Ice Cream
Breakfast Cereals - Koko Krunch, Honey Stars, etc
Petfood - Frieskies, Purina
All fending products

The prices are confirmed to increase by 4-5% dependng on products. We are working to get you the latest prices by Nestle soon. Stay tuned!

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Rumours have had it that Nestle Malaysia is about to increase the price of Milo again. This event makes it the second time in 2011 that prices of Milo have increase! Nestle is saying that the increase is unavoidable due to the international pressure of commodity prices. The level of increase is yet to be confirmed but the news is that it will be by early May!

Milo lovers are advised to stock up on the product as soon as possible to avoid the increase.

I guess that after this, Mamak will increase price of Milo again. It is already the most expensive drink in Mamak and its about to get worst. I guess we should now declare Mamak as Cafe Mamak very soon.

Coffeemate

Non-dairy creamers are liquid or granular substances intended to substitute for milk or cream as an additive to coffee or other beverages. They do not contain lactose and are therefore not dairy products; accordingly, some parts of the world require the alternate term non-dairy whiteners that does not imply the presence of real cream.

History

The first commercial powdered creamer was "Pream" in 1952; made from dehydrated cream and sugar it had the problem of not dissolving easily because of the protein in the milk. Six years later Carnation developed "Coffee-Mate Non Dairy Creamer", which did dissolve as it replaced most of the milk product with dried vegetable oil.

The world's first non-dairy powdered creamer, Coffeemate, was first introduced to the American public in 1961. Coffeemate now sells twenty varieties of powder creamer and thirty-eighty varieties of liquid creamer, the most common flavors being The Original Coffee Creamer, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut which come in Regular, Fat-Free, and Sugar-Free.

Ingredients

To replicate the mouthfeel of milk fats, non-dairy creamers often contain vegetable-based fats, although non-dairy non-fat creamers/whiteners also exist. Other common ingredients include sodium caseinate (a milk protein (casein) derivative that does not contain lactose), corn syrup or other sweeteners and flavorings.

Non Traditional Use

At one point in time, somebody, somewhere decided to see if powdered coffee creamer would ignite in midair, and surely to their amazement, they found that large quantities make beautiful, and pleasant-smelling fireballs. The amateur film scene has jumped on this opportunity to create hollywood-style explosions on a low budget. All one needs is non-dairy creamer, an ignition source (a burning coal or a road flare for example), and a way to propel the creamer (i.e. compressed air or bike pump). One of the key advantages in using coffee creamer is that it only burns in midair; as soon as the creamer touches the ground, it goes out, making coffee creamer a much safer alternative to using gasoline.

Nescafe Price Increase

Similarly to Milo, Nescafe is also rumoured to increase in price! Stay tune for the latest news here as soon as we can find out more!

Remember, all Mamak will now be known as Cafe Mamak!!!

Nestle - The Company

Nestlé S.A. (French pronunciation: [nɛsˈle]) is one of the largest food and nutrition companies in the world, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, which was established in 1866 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and the Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé Company, which was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé. The company grew significantly during the First World War and following the Second World War, eventually expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. Today, the company operates in 86 countries around the world and employs nearly 283,000 people.
History
The company dates to 1867, when two separate Swiss enterprises were founded that would later form the core of Nestlé. In the succeeding decades the two competing enterprises aggressively expanded their businesses throughout Europe and the United States.

In August 1867 Charles A and George Page, two brothers from Lee County, Illinois, USA established the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company in Cham. Their first British operation was opened at Chippenham, Wiltshire in 1873.

Henri Nestle

In September 1867, in Vevey, Henri Nestlé developed a milk-based baby food and soon began marketing it. The following year, 1868, saw Daniel Peter begin seven years of work perfecting his invention, the milk chocolate manufacturing process; M. Nestlé's was the crucial cooperation M. Peter needed to solve the problem of removing all the water from the milk added to his chocolate and thus preventing the product from developing mildew. Henri Nestlé retired in 1875, but the company, under new ownership, retained his name as Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé.

In 1877 Anglo-Swiss added milk-based baby foods to its products, and in the following year the Nestlé Company added condensed milk, so that the firms became direct and fierce rivals.

In 1905 the companies merged to become the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, retaining that name until 1947, when the name Nestlé Alimentana SA was taken as a result of the acquisition of Fabrique de Produits Maggi SA (founded 1884) and its holding company, Alimentana SA of Kempttal, Switzerland. Maggi was a major manufacturer of soup mixes and related foodstuffs. The company’s current name was adopted in 1977. By the early 1900s, the company was operating factories in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. World War I created new demand for dairy products in the form of government contracts; by the end of the war, Nestlé's production had more than doubled.

After the war, government contracts dried up and consumers switched back to fresh milk. However, Nestlé's management responded quickly, streamlining operations and reducing debt. The 1920s saw Nestlé's first expansion into new products, with chocolate the company's second most important activity.

Nestlé felt the effects of World War II immediately. Profits dropped from US$20 million in 1938 to US$6 million in 1939. Factories were established in developing countries, particularly Latin America. Ironically, the war helped with the introduction of the company's newest product, Nescafé ("Nestlé's Coffee"), which was a staple drink of the US military. Nestlé's production and sales rose in the wartime economy.

The end of World War II was the beginning of a dynamic phase for Nestlé. Growth accelerated and companies were acquired. In 1947 came the merger with Maggi seasonings and soups. Crosse & Blackwell followed in 1950, as did Findus (1963), Libby's (1971) and Stouffer's (1973). Diversification came with a shareholding in L'Oréal in 1974. In 1977, Nestlé made its second venture outside the food industry by acquiring Alcon Laboratories Inc.

In 1984, Nestlé's improved bottom line allowed the company to launch a new round of acquisitions, notably American food giant Carnation and the British confectionery company Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, which brought the Willy Wonka Brand to Nestlé.

The first half of the 1990s proved to be favorable for Nestlé: trade barriers crumbled and world markets developed into more or less integrated trading areas. Since 1996 there have been acquisitions including San Pellegrino (1997), Spillers Petfoods (1998), and Ralston Purina (2002). There were two major acquisitions in North America, both in 2002: in June, Nestlé merged its U.S. ice cream business into Dreyer's, and in August a US$2.6 billion acquisition was announced of Chef America, the creator of Hot Pockets. In the same time frame, Nestlé came close to purchasing the iconic American company Hershey's, one of its fiercest confectionery competitors, though the deal fell through. Another recent purchase included the Jenny Craig weight loss program for US$600 million.

In December of 2005, Nestlé bought the Greek company Delta Ice Cream for €240 million. In January of 2006, it took full ownership of Dreyer's, thus becoming the world's biggest ice cream maker with a 17.5% market share.

In November of 2006, Nestlé purchased the Medical Nutrition division of Novartis Pharmaceutical for $2.5B, also acquiring in 2007 the milk flavoring product known as Ovaltine.

In April of 2007, returning to its roots, Nestlé bought baby-food manufacturer Gerber for $5.5 billion.
In December of 2007, Nestlé entered in a strategic partnership with a Belgian chocolate maker Pierre Marcolini. Nestlé agreed to sell its controlling stake in Alcon to Novartis on 4 January, 2010. The sale was to form part of a broader US $39.3 billion offer, by Novartis, for full acquisition of the world’s largest eye-care company.

Management

The executive board, a distinct entity from the board of directors, includes:

• Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nestlé S.A.

• Paul Bulcke, Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé S.A.

• Werner Bauer, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A., Chief Technology Officer, Head of Innovation, Technology, Research & Development

• Friz van Dijk, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Asia, Oceania, Africa, Middle East

• Luis Cantarell, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. United States of America, Canada, Latin America, Caribbean

• José Lopez, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Operations, GLOBE

• John J. Harris, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Chairman & CEO of Nestlé Waters

• Nandu Nandkishore, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. CEO of Nestlé Nutrition

• James Singh, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Finance and Control, Legal, IP, Tax, Global Nestlé Business Services

• Laurent Freixe, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Europe

• Petraea Heynike, Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Strategic Business Units, Marketing, Sales and Nespresso

• Marc Caira, Deputy Executive Vice President, Nestlé S.A. Head of Nestlé Professional Strategic Business Division

• Jean-Marc Duvoisin, Deputy Executive Vice President Nestlé S.A. Head of Human Resources and Centre Administration

• David P. Frick, Senior Vice President and ex officio Member of the Executive Board

According to a 2006 global survey of online consumers by the Reputation Institute, Nestlé has a reputation score of 70.4 on a scale of 1–100.

Earnings

In 2009, consolidated sales were CHF 107.6 billion and net profit was CHF 10.43 billion. Research and development investment was CHF 2.02 billion.

• Sales by activity breakdown: 27% from drinks, 26% from dairy and food products, 18% from ready-prepared dishes and ready-cooked dishes, 12% from chocolate, 11% from pet products, 6% from pharmaceutical products and 2% from baby milks.
• Sales by geographic area breakdown: 32% from Europe, 31% from Americas (26% from US), 16% from Asia, 21% from rest of the world.

Joint Ventures

Nestlé holds 26.4% of the shares of L'Oréal, the world's largest company in cosmetics and beauty. The Laboratoires Inneov is a joint venture in nutritional cosmetics between Nestlé and L'Oréal, and Galderma a joint venture in dermatology with L'Oréal. Others include Cereal Partners Worldwide with General Mills, Beverage Partners Worldwide with Coca-Cola, and Dairy Partners Americas with Fonterra.

Kit Kat

A Kit Kat is a chocolate confection which was first created by Rowntree's of York, England, and now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three layers of wafer, covered in an outer layer of chocolate. Each finger can be snapped from the bar one at a time.
History
The origins of the 'Kit Kat' brand stem back to 1911, when Rowntree, a confectionery company based in York in the United Kingdom, trademarked the terms 'Kit Cat' and 'Kit Kat'. Although the terms were not immediately utilised, the first conception of the Kit Kat appeared in the 1920s, where Rowntree launched a brand of boxed chocolates entitled 'Kit Cat'. The 'Kit Cat' product continued into the 1930s, when Rowntree shifted focus and production on strong assortment brands, 'Black Magic' and 'Dairy Box'. With the promotion of alternative products, the 'Kit Cat' brand eventually decreased and was eventually discontinued. The original four-finger bar was developed after a worker at the Rowntree York Factory put a suggestion in a recommendation box for a snack that "a man could take to work in his pack up". The bar launched on 29 August 1935, under the title of 'Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp' (priced at 2d), and was sold in London and throughout Southern England.

The product's official title of 'Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp' was renamed to 'Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp' in 1937, the same year that 'Kit Kat' began to incorporate 'Break' into their recognisable advertising strategy. The colour scheme and first flavour variation to the brand came in 1942, owing to World War II, when food shortages prompted an alteration in the recipe. The flavour of 'Kit Kat' was changed to 'dark', and the packaging abandoned its 'Chocolate Crisp' title, and was adorned in blue. After the war, the title was altered to 'Kit Kat' and resumed its original milk recipe and original red packaging.

Due to a widespread success in the United Kingdom, 'Kit Kat' picked up global supplying and recognition in the 1950s when the brand was shipped to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. During the same decade, Donald Gilles, the executive at 'JWT London', created the iconic advertising line "Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat". The brand further expanded in the 1970s, where Rowntree created a new distribution factory in Germany to increase European demand, and established agreements to distribute the brand in the USA and Japan, through the Hershey Corp company and Fujiya company, respectively. In June 1988, Nestlé acquired 'Kit Kat' through the purchase of Rowntree. This gave Nestlé global control over the brand, with the exception of North America, and production and distribution increased with new facilities in Japan and additional manufacturing operations set up in Malaysia, India, and China.

Since Nestlé take over of Rowntree's brands in 1988, there has been much criticism of the way that the company has changed the brands. The Kit Kat recipe was changed from using expensive French flour to cheaper British flour, in the process Kit Kats lost the distinctive 'snap' which featured prominently in almost all the 1970's and 1980's Kit Kat advertising. Later the foil and paper wrapping was changed to plastic.

Variants in the traditional chocolate bar first appeared in the 1990s. 1996 introduced 'Kit Kat Orange', the first flavour variant, to be launched in the United Kingdom. The success was followed by several varieties including mint and caramel, and in 1999 'Kit Kat Chunky' was launched and received favourably by international consumers. Variations of the traditional 'Kit Kat' have continued to develop throughout the 2000s. In 2000, Nestlé acquired Fujiya’s share of the brand in Japan, and also expanded its marketplace in Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela, in addition to markets in Eastern and Central Europe. Throughout the decade, 'Kit Kat' has introduced dozens of flavours and variations within specific consumer markets, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on the 10th of October, 2010.

The traditional bar has four fingers which each measure approximately 1 centimetre (0.39 in) by 9 centimetres (3.5 in). A two-finger bar was launched in the 1930s, and has remained the company's best-selling biscuit brand ever since. The 1999 'Kit Kat Chunky' (known as 'Big Kat' in the U.S.) has one large finger approximately 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) wide. 'Kit Kat' bars contain varying numbers of fingers depending on the market, ranging from the half-finger sized Kit Kat Petit in Japan, to the three-fingered variants in Arabia, to the twelve-finger 'Kit Kat' family-size bars in Australia and France. 'Kit Kat' bars are sold either individually or in bags, boxes or multi-packs. In Ireland, the UK, and America, Nestlé also produces a 'Kit Kat' Ice Cream, and in Malaysia, 'Kit Kat Drumsticks'.

In 2010 a new GBP 5 million manufacturing line was opened by Nestlé in York UK. This will produce more than a billion Kit Kat bars each year.

Brand Name and Apperance
Originally named Rowntree's chocolate crisp, the traditional red wrapper of the original bar briefly became blue between 1945–1947. As a result of milk shortages after the end of World War II, the milk chocolate coating was suspended and a dark chocolate was used instead during that period.

The Hershey Company has a licence to produce Kit Kat bars in the United States which dates from 1969, when Hershey executed a licensing agreement for Kit Kat and the Rolo with Rowntree in the United States (and for Oh Henry! in Canada). Nestlé, which has a substantial presence in the US, had to honour the licensing agreement which allows Hershey to retain the Kit Kat / Rolo licence so long as Hershey is not sold. This was a factor in Hershey's failed attempt to attract a serious buyer in 2002.

Hershey's Kit Kat packaging and advertising in the USA has differed from the branding used in every other country where it is sold, although in 2002 Hershey Kit Kats finally started to adopt the slanted ellipse logo used worldwide by Nestlé (though the ellipse is red and the text is white, rather than the other way around). It is possible to purchase the (imported) Nestle version of the Kit Kat Chunky in various specialty shops in the US.

In Norway, a similar product is manufactured by Kraft Foods and sold as Kvikk Lunsj; Kvikk Lunsj XXL is similar to a Kit Kat Chunky.

Marketing and Promotions

After launching in the 1930s, Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was originally advertised as "the biggest little meal" and "the best companion to a cup of tea". During the Second World War, Kit Kat was depicted as a valuable wartime foodstuff, with the slogan "what active people need". 'Kitty the Kat' arrived in the late 1940s to emphasise the "rich full cream milk" qualities of the bar and, thanks to contemporary improvements in production methods, also highlighted the new and improved 'snap' by responding to a biscuit being broken off screen. The first Kit Kat poster appeared in 1951, and the first colour TV advertisement appeared in 1969.

Since 1957, the slogan for the Kit Kat in the UK and elsewhere has been "Have a break... have a Kit Kat". However, in 1995, Nestlé sought to trademark the "Have a break" portion. After a ten year legal battle, which was contested by rival Mars, the European Court of Justice ruled on July 7, 2005 to send the case back to the British Courts.

In the meantime, Nestlé UK changed the slogan in 2004 to "Make the most of your break". The new slogan was not embraced outside of the UK and recently Nestlé Rowntree has returned to using the original slogan.

Earl Grey Kit Kat- Japan

The "classic" American version of the "Gimme a Break" Kit Kat jingle (in use in the US since 1986) was written by Ken Shuldman (lyrics) and Michael A. Levine (music) for the DDB Advertising Agency. Versions of the original have been covered by Carrie Underwood, Shawn Colvin, and many studio singers, as well as people who have appeared on-camera in the commercials. The jingle was cited in a study by University of Cincinnati researcher James A. Kellaris as one of the top ten "earworms" - bits of melody that become stuck in your head. Another version of the advertising jingle 'Gimme a break' created for Kit Kat "Factory" commercial in the USA was an original recording by Andrew W.K. W.K. was hired to write a new musical version for their "Gimme a break" slogan. Variations on the Andrew W.K. advertisement included executive dance routines in corporate offices, and a network news room. However, the "classic" song has also been used again since the newer version first aired in 2004.

A 1989 advertisement for Kit Kat, in which a giant panda in a zoo "takes a break", came in 30th in Channel 4's "100 Greatest Adverts" poll in 2000.

In late 2004 through to the end of 2006, Nestlé Rowntree sponsored York City F.C.. As a result the club's home-ground, Bootham Crescent, was renamed to KitKat Crescent.