You must be kidding me! That would be your first reaction after reading this. Much to our surprise, we’ve been using most of the brands our entire life without knowing they don’t actually originate from Msia. But the products are popular among Msian consumers. Here are the 9 brands you might have probably thought were originate from Msia (you’ll probably think that brand number 2 & 3 are proudly owned by Msia):
1. AVON
Avon is a multi-level marketing company selling beauty, household, and personal care. It is the fifth-largest beauty company and, with 6.4 million representatives, is the second largest direct-selling enterprise in the world (after Amway).
2. Milo
In 1934 Nestlé Australia food scientist Thomas Mayne developed a powdered chocolate malt drink that people could mix with water or milk, and drink hot or cold. He launched Milo at the Sydney Royal Easter Show that year and drank a cup every day until he died aged 93. Milo is now made in 24 other factories worldwide and sold in more than 40 countries.
3. Bata
Bata was founded back in 1894 in Zlin, Czechoslovakia by Thomas Bata, a 9th generation shoemaker in his family. Bata revolutionised the shoe manufacturing industry at that time by producing well-designed and durable shoes that came with prices that everyone could afford. Today, Bata spans across the globe with over 6,000 retail stores and 100,000 independent dealers and franchisees.
4. Maggi
MAGGI owes its name to founder Julius Maggi, entrepreneur and inventor of the first product to bear the brand – MAGGI Soup Seasoning. He created MAGGI ready-to-use soups in in 1886, then launched MAGGI flavouring later in the year. More and more new products followed between 1887 and 1889. Julius opened subsidiaries in Paris, Berlin, Singen, Vienna, Bregenz and London and a representative office in the US. The MAGGI brand spread swiftly around the world. The company that he founded merged with Nestlé in 1947 and since then, Nestlé has been the proud custodian of this trusted brand.
5. Fraser and Neave (F&N)
Fraser & Neave was founded in 1883 by John Fraser and David Neave as the Singapore and Straits Aerated Water Company to produce carbonated soft drinks. The company was renamed Fraser and Neave, Limited (F&N) in 1898. F&NHB operates in Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Indochina, and is a subsidiary of Fraser and Neave, Limited.
6. NESCAFÉ
A coffee specialist, Max Morgenthaler from Switzerland, was on a mission to create a delicious cup of coffee simply by adding water. Max and his team worked hard to find a new way to make instant coffee that would retain the coffee’s natural flavour. In 1938, they found the answer, and NESCAFÉ was born. Named by using the first three letters in Nestlé and suffixing it with ‘café’, NESCAFÉ became the new name in coffee.
7. Paper Mate
It all started in the early in the 1940s, Patrick J. Frawley, an entrepreneur who saw opportunities, acquired a ballpoint pen parts manufacturer during a time when the ballpoint pen industry was struggling due to poor product performance and began the journey to find an improved ballpoint pen ink that would change the industry. A new pen called the Paper Mate was born and transformed the ballpoint pen industry with a revolutionary instant-drying ink that did not leak. Paper Mate is then acquired by Newell Brands in 2000.
8. Pilot
Pilot Corporation was founded in 1918 by Ryosuke Namiki and Masao Wada in Japan. From then till now, Pilot Corporation has expanded their business network by setting up subsidiaries company in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Hong Kong, Netherland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and United States of America. They even set up the production plants in Brazil, Europe, Indonesia, Russia, and United States of America.
9. Kopiko
Kopiko is a brand of coffee confectioneries originally produced in Jakarta, Indonesia by a company named PT. Mayora Indah Tbk. It is named after the kōpiko coffee bean, found in Hawaii. Kopiko Candy is currently available in over 80 countries around the world. The product contains extract from real coffee beans and it has two different flavors – original coffee and cappuccino. Fun fact: Kopiko Candy has also been consumed by astronauts on the International Space Station.
