Food Business Update: 5 Simple Ideas Inspired by Malaysian Premium Food Brand Okay Kuih

Food Business Update: 5 Simple Ideas Inspired by Malaysian Premium Food Brand Okay Kuih

Okay Kuih’s yam cakes with sauce are ready to be sent to you through food delivery too.

Food Business Update: Food delivery is now an essential aspect of our lives due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) that began in March 2020, followed by the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO). Getting food with just a swipe of your finger has been made easier with the emergence of various food delivery services and apps…

which means you’re very lucky if you’re planning to launch your own food business right now because with food delivery being a norm (even though we are now free to dine in restaurants), people are more likely to buy food from outside just because it has been made easy with apps like Grabfood, Foodpanda, and dahmakan.

Being lucky because you’re situated in these times is one thing and launching a successful food business is another. As a social media marketing agency that has recently worked on a relevant brand project for a local kuih brand, we’ll show you how you could get started. In this quick and easy read, you’ll receive a compilation of our strategies on how you can adapt your F&B business to the new norm, featuring some useful tips to start up a food business (or beverage!).

Okay Kuih was founded in December 2020 by one of Tinker Society founders Angeline Lo with Joey Lee and partner Wai May. During these critical times when many people’s lives have been affected, Okay Kuih’s founders saw opportunities in the food delivery industry— and with their passion for food & beverage and their team’s passion in branding and creativity, Okay Kuih was born, with the idea of launching a local brand and platform where the heart of Malaysia’s heritage, culture, and people has a place to shine and grow strong.

Who were the Baba Nyonya? You must have at least heard of the classic TV show The Little Nyonya, even if you did not watch it during the height of its success: In 2008, Singapore TV captured millions of hearts with their local drama starring Jeanette Aw, intricate Kebayas, and a wicked stepmother who put Cinderella’s Lady Tremaine to shame with her phenomenal acting.

Fast forward 12 years later and a brand new version of the show is now available. In a way that the original did not, Peranakan food was thrust into the spotlight. 2 minutes into the first episode, and I was already treated to idyllic Peranakan home kitchen scenes and cinematic shots of delicious Nyonya Kuih (which didn’t support my hunger pangs because I began watching it late at night!). If you’re curious now, watch The Little Nyonya on Netflix.

More specifically, Okay Kuih is about Baba Nyonya / (Chinese Peranakan) culture, a mixture of local Malaysian culture and Chinese culture originating from China. Along with food culture, Baba Nyonyas also have their very own clothing, architecture, and arts.

Introduction

Okay Kuih stands out by offering kuih on a creative platform, enabling endless opportunities among various communities to sell their gorgeous kuih. Are you the founder of a brand or are you thinking of starting a brand one day? Always remember to be different, unique, and extraordinary to stay ahead of any competition— the same goes for any food business too.

#1 Planning

Before launching your food business, focus first on setting up how your “sourcing” and “branding” will work. What will your brand identity be? Where will you get your products and items from? How will your product packaging look like? Who will be in charge of handling customer experience? How will your scrumptious dishes or snacks reach your customers, whose mouths are watering?

Essentially, planning means figuring out your Brand Identity, Brand Story, Sourcing, Packaging, Logistic & Operations.

Take Okay Kuih as an example:

Okay Kuih’s goal is to fulfill The OKAY Mission of amplifying Malaysian Culture & Individuality, and such is a part of our brand identity too. In short, spreading love and respect for Malaysian culture both a community at a time, and a kuih at a time.
At the same time, Okay Kuih aims to pamper your taste buds with multi-coloured kuih that come in all kinds of shapes and flavors, changing the myth that kuih should only be viewed as dessert— because the truth is kuih can be enjoyed at any time, for breakfast or even afternoon tea.
Our sourcing: Only fresh ingredients are sourced by Okay Kuih— finest ingredients such as fresh coconut milk are needed to produce fragrant kuih. After all, authentic Nyonya kuih rely on an artisan touch and traditional methods, which means simplicity and freshness of ingredients are key. In fact, Peranakan food’s ultimate rule is to have no shortcuts. Perfection thus requires back-breaking work and continuous supervision (especially during the steaming process).
To evoke brand awareness, pull people’s attention by going fusion or by merging the old and the new. For example, Okay Kuih is distinctly Nyonya but with a Modern Twist, and their ang ku kuih might just be the superstar of the kuih world as it now comes in various colours and fillings, not to mention the super adorable mini pipette through which lime is infused. All in all, a modern twist on the old (By the way, that’s why red velvet grew famous: it’s a modern aesthetic take on the simple chocolate cake!).
Maintain your brand’s reputation by focusing on quality assurance too. One way to do that is to ensure all foods are made daily and delivered fresh. Okay Kuih limits their daily orders to 100 so that some attention can be paid on making and delivering kuihs of exceptional quality.

Kuih food business, green-and-white traditional kuih held by two hands

okay kuih’s truffle talam is available for food delivery.

Kuih Talam is a two-layer Nyonya Kuih, in which the top layer is white and the bottom layer is green. Truffle oil is used to impart the flavor and aroma of truffles.

#2 Teamwork

When people come together, it’s to brainstorm the best strategies and implementing creativity at every step of the way. And if you’re in the food business, it’s pretty easy to get creative. Develop colourful and enticing visuals in the form of commercials and social media ads or shout out about your new dish on the radio. Take a look at Okay Kuih’s Instagram account and you’ll realize that simple, everyday objects are truly sufficient for food photography.

Creativity doesn’t just stop at content and advertising: the way you operate your food business and manage marketing should also involve that big C word everybody loves. For example, Okay Kuih partnering with AirAsia Food is an excellent marketing strategy and takes a little weight off the food delivery process (operations).

Pro-tip: Feel free to post images from say, Pinterest on your Instagram account as it helps contribute to the overall feel and mood of your food brand.

#3 Creativity (different and unique)

Let’s be a little more specific when it comes to creativity by taking the theme and design of OKAY Kuih as an example:

Colors used are very vibrant and the arts of embroidery, kebaya Nyonya, beaded shoes and crafts are displayed. Chinese auspicious images – phoenixes, qilins, lotuses, and sea creatures – all express wishes of good fortune and marital success. Flora and fauna inspired by European embroidery patterns can also be seen.

All these different motifs and exquisite patterns catch the audience’s eye and bring out the uniqueness of Baba Nyonya Art and Culture.

Another way Okay Kuih sets itself apart is by giving away gorgeous postcards and stickers that come along with their kuih. What a creative and modern way to package a food product!

#4 Word of Mouth & Social Media (Influencers Outreach, Ad Buy & Customer Advocacy)

Okay Kuih’s potential customers need to find out about their sassy kuih, but how? Through ads, influencers, and happy customers! In addition, Okay Kuih’s Instagram posts feature the tasty kuih, arts and culture (vibrant colour, the embroidery and bakul siah), and highlight the spirit of the team behind their business and brand.

You might also be interested in our behind the scenes videos which are available on our Instagram. Social media video ads help to raise awareness and connect with the public. Behind-the-scenes videos that show product creation and delivery are amongst the content you could share.

Pro-tip: You don’t always need additional editing for your videos because most people are fond of watching authentic content.

A splendid way to display Nyonya art on social media!

Truly, with influencers, social media ads, and user-generated content, social media saves the day. Remember:

It is vital that brands can exploit this rising social trend to their advantage.
Represent the style, flair, and voice tone of your brand at all times as those will become part of your user’s memories.
Your brand ambassadors must communicate in your brand voice.
With social media, it becomes possible for brands to offer their consumers exclusive brand-specific experiences at a very low production cost.

#5 Activation & Exposure (Official launch, “I’m Malaysian” Campaign)

If you’re Malaysian, you would know that Kuih has always played a special role not just in the Malaysian economy and culture but in the everyday lives of Malaysians.

Indeed, Kuih’s widespread impact on Malaysian lives is the ultimate reason behind Okay Kuih’s “I’m Malaysian” campaign, a monthly project where one to two Malaysians will share their unique background, story, culture, and personality as a Malaysian. Bottom line, this recurring campaign will play a part in transforming Okay Kuih into a cultural phenomenon, therefore helping it to stand out as a food business.

Like Okay Kuih, your brand too can start online conversations and pull patriotic Malaysians into them!

#6 What to look forward to?

Phew! You made it to the end of this article. For that, you’re amongst the first and few to know about our Chinese New Year special:

A genius idea for any food business: Chinese New Year Basket of Offerings

Collaborating with KISSTHEPINK Malaysia, we give you our Blossom Basket, available for purchase on AirAsia Food. (See? We chose to collaborate with local brands #jomsupportlocallah). In other words, if you’re a Malaysian local, support locals— like us, and it will do wonders for your brand. That’s because once you start supporting locals, everyone will do the same, and your brand will benefit too.

Not interested in our Blossom Basket? That’s Okay! Stay tuned for a fancy collaboration between Okay Kuih and Malaysian influencers which will involve discounts and free giveaways, as usual (look out for that promo code). You can also keep in touch with Okay Kuih by following us on Instagram and sharing your opinions on our interesting blog articles.