What is the one common factor between an astronaut on the international space station, billionaire Elon Musk, and South Korean actor Song Joong Ki?

The answer might make you go ‘What, Seriously?’ Now, are you ready for the answer? Well, the answer is that all three of them eat Kopiko candies at some point in their lives. 

If you’re a K-drama lover, you might have noticed Kopiko candies appear out of nowhere  – sometimes almost as frequently as Subway – in the middle of your favourite shows. 

And in 2017, a then-Twitter post by the official International Space Station account showed a group of astronauts enjoying their Thanksgiving dinner, with Kopiko candies in the picture. 

Fast forward to 2022, Elon Musk was offered Kopiko candies by Indonesia’s minister of maritime and investment affairs when they met in Texas. The billionaire tried the candied treat for the first time and was caught in video raising both his thumbs. 

But what have these got to do with money you might ask. Believe it or not, shares of Kopiko’s owner Mayora Group jumped 7.3 per cent as a result of the video featuring Elon Musk. 

So what is Kopiko’s secret to building a strong brand both organically and inorganically, and what is the financial reward for doing so? 

Also – what is the return on investments in promotional strategies such as product placements?  And how far is Kopiko’s proliferation into K-dramas a good strategy for the firm to position itself as a global brand?

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Pak Ricky, Director and Global Marketing Director, Mayora Group. 

What is the one common factor between an astronaut on the international space station, billionaire Elon Musk, and South Korean actor Song Joong Ki?
The answer might make you go ‘What, Seriously?’ Now, are you ready for the answer? Well, the answer is that all three of them eat Kopiko candies at some point in their lives. 
If you’re a K-drama lover, you might have noticed Kopiko candies appear out of nowhere  – sometimes almost as frequently as Subway – in the middle of your favourite shows. 
And in 2017, a then-Twitter post by the official International Space Station account showed a group of astronauts enjoying their Thanksgiving dinner, with Kopiko candies in the picture. 
Fast forward to 2022, Elon Musk was offered Kopiko candies by Indonesia’s minister of maritime and investment affairs when they met in Texas. The billionaire tried the candied treat for the first time and was caught in video raising both his thumbs. 
But what have these got to do with money you might ask. Believe it or not, shares of Kopiko’s owner Mayora Group jumped 7.3 per cent as a result of the video featuring Elon Musk. 
So what is Kopiko’s secret to building a strong brand both organically and inorganically, and what is the financial reward for doing so? 
Also – what is the return on investments in promotional strategies such as product placements?  And how far is Kopiko’s proliferation into K-dramas a good strategy for the firm to position itself as a global brand?
On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Pak Ricky, Director and Global Marketing Director, Mayora Group.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

We speak with businesses, industry leaders, venture capitalists and startups on their assessment of the business environment they're in, and what the future holds for them.

Under The Radar

Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Under the Radar: Elon Musk, Astronauts and K-dramas – What’s up with Kopiko and its marketing strategies?

We promise to make this conversation a colourful one as we speak to global colour authority Pantone. 

The firm is a provider of professional standards for the design industries, creating a universal language of colour that enables colour critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and the manufacturer.

But did you know that Pantone’s origins could be traced back to a commercial printing company in New York City in the 1950s? The company had systematised and simplified its pigments and coloured inks, and that’s how the Pantone we know came about.

Today, Pantone works with some of the world’s most recognisable consumer, fashion and technology brands, with over 10 million designers and producers relying on its products and services to help define, communicate and control colour from inspiration to realisation. 

The firm’s business can be broadly split into four segments: (1) Pantone Standards which feature digital and physical colour specification and workflow tools, the (2) Pantone Colour Institute which provides customised colour standards, brand identity, product colour consulting and trend forecasting, (3) Pantone B2B Licensing and last but not least (4) Pantone Lifestyle that brings colour and design across apparel, home and accessories. 

More notably, Pantone is also an operating subsidiary of Veralto, a US$5 billion essential technology solutions leader listed on the New York Stock Exchange. But how does the business work exactly?

Meanwhile, Pantone and luxury car maker Porsche together presented an exclusive colour called Turbonite. That’s a colour with an elegant metallic grey tone customised for the brand and its Turbo derivatives. But what does such collaborations mean for Pantone when it comes down to the P&L?

On Under the Radar, Money Matter's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Elley Cheng, President, Pantone. 

We promise to make this conversation a colourful one as we speak to global colour authority Pantone. 
The firm is a provider of professional standards for the design industries, creating a universal language of colour that enables colour critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and the manufacturer.
But did you know that Pantone’s origins could be traced back to a commercial printing company in New York City in the 1950s? The company had systematised and simplified its pigments and coloured inks, and that’s how the Pantone we know came about.
Today, Pantone works with some of the world’s most recognisable consumer, fashion and technology brands, with over 10 million designers and producers relying on its products and services to help define, communicate and control colour from inspiration to realisation. 
The firm’s business can be broadly split into four segments: (1) Pantone Standards which feature digital and physical colour specification and workflow tools, the (2) Pantone Colour Institute which provides customised colour standards, brand identity, product colour consulting and trend forecasting, (3) Pantone B2B Licensing and last but not least (4) Pantone Lifestyle that brings colour and design across apparel, home and accessories. 
More notably, Pantone is also an operating subsidiary of Veralto, a US$5 billion essential technology solutions leader listed on the New York Stock Exchange. But how does the business work exactly?
Meanwhile, Pantone and luxury car maker Porsche together presented an exclusive colour called Turbonite. That’s a colour with an elegant metallic grey tone customised for the brand and its Turbo derivatives. But what does such collaborations mean for Pantone when it comes down to the P&amp;L?
On Under the Radar, Money Matter's finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Elley Cheng, President, Pantone.

Under the Radar: The many shades of Pantone - its President sheds light on the firm’s business model, collaboration with Nespresso, Porsche, and colour trends

Did you know that a ChatGPT query takes up nearly 10 times the amount of electricity needed to run a Google search on average? 

That’s right. And what that means is that the current boom in artificial intelligence we’re seeing is driving up a significant increase in data centre workload and demand for data centre capacity.

For one thing, the International Data Corporation or IDC expects the surging demand for AI workloads to drive up AI data centre capacity at a projected compound annual growth rate of 40.5% from 2024 through 2027.   

But how has that filtered down to data centre operators and related REITs? That’s what we are going to find out from our guest for today, Digital Core REIT. 

Listed on the mainboard of the SGX in 2021, Digital Core Reit is said to be the only pure-play data centre Singapore REIT sponsored by data centre owner and operator Digital Realty. 

The REIT has a principal investment strategy of investing in a diversified portfolio of stabilised income-producing real estate assets located globally which are used primarily for data centre purposes, as well as assets necessary to support the digital economy.

Currently, the REIT holds US$1.4B in assets under management and 10 data centres in its portfolio. But how will this change amid the boom in AI, and how far will Southeast Asia be a bright spot for the firm, with big techs pouring investments into the region to build data centres? 

Also – how does Digital Core REIT assess Singapore as a destination to host data centres?

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to John Stewart, CEO, Digital Core REIT. 

Did you know that a ChatGPT query takes up nearly 10 times the amount of electricity needed to run a Google search on average? 
That’s right. And what that means is that the current boom in artificial intelligence we’re seeing is driving up a significant increase in data centre workload and demand for data centre capacity.
For one thing, the International Data Corporation or IDC expects the surging demand for AI workloads to drive up AI data centre capacity at a projected compound annual growth rate of 40.5% from 2024 through 2027.   
But how has that filtered down to data centre operators and related REITs? That’s what we are going to find out from our guest for today, Digital Core REIT. 
Listed on the mainboard of the SGX in 2021, Digital Core Reit is said to be the only pure-play data centre Singapore REIT sponsored by data centre owner and operator Digital Realty. 
The REIT has a principal investment strategy of investing in a diversified portfolio of stabilised income-producing real estate assets located globally which are used primarily for data centre purposes, as well as assets necessary to support the digital economy.
Currently, the REIT holds US$1.4B in assets under management and 10 data centres in its portfolio. But how will this change amid the boom in AI, and how far will Southeast Asia be a bright spot for the firm, with big techs pouring investments into the region to build data centres? 
Also – how does Digital Core REIT assess Singapore as a destination to host data centres?
On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to John Stewart, CEO, Digital Core REIT.

Under the Radar: Digital Core REIT’s CEO on the impact of AI boom on data centre demand and how Southeast Asia could be a bright spot

It’s all about making carbohydrates great again today as we speak to a food tech company that aims to make carbs-heavy food healthier for consumers. 

Founded in 2015, Alchemy Foodtech is a Singapore-based food innovation company that aims to create food that not only taste better, but are healthier for people. 

In particular, the company formulates food ingredients that can reduce sugar usage and lower the glycemic index in carbohydrate-based foods while improving gut and metabolic health. Such ingredients can be used in items such as rice, noodles, bread, confectionery and even beverages. 

In particular, the firm said it is known for its Alchemy Fibre™️. The patented fibre blend is made out of plant ingredients such as corn and legumes and can be added to carb-heavy food products like rice, bread or noodles to prevent sudden blood sugar spikes. 

Another product that the company is pushing out is a sugar replacer solution  SweetFibre™️. 

So far, Alchemy Foodtech said it has worked with Subway on a lower sugar cookie in Singapore. Some of its other local customers include chicken rice chain Boon Tong Kee, the Springleaf Prata Place and duck specialist Dian Xiao Er.

But how far is Singapore a key market for Alchemy, given how the country declared war against diabetes back in 2016? 

Also – where does the company intend to expand into to achieve greater scale in the medium to longer term? 

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alan Phua, Co-founder, Alchemy Foodtech.

It’s all about making carbohydrates great again today as we speak to a food tech company that aims to make carbs-heavy food healthier for consumers. 
Founded in 2015, Alchemy Foodtech is a Singapore-based food innovation company that aims to create food that not only taste better, but are healthier for people. 
In particular, the company formulates food ingredients that can reduce sugar usage and lower the glycemic index in carbohydrate-based foods while improving gut and metabolic health. Such ingredients can be used in items such as rice, noodles, bread, confectionery and even beverages. 
In particular, the firm said it is known for its Alchemy Fibre™️. The patented fibre blend is made out of plant ingredients such as corn and legumes and can be added to carb-heavy food products like rice, bread or noodles to prevent sudden blood sugar spikes. 
Another product that the company is pushing out is a sugar replacer solution  SweetFibre™️. 
So far, Alchemy Foodtech said it has worked with Subway on a lower sugar cookie in Singapore. Some of its other local customers include chicken rice chain Boon Tong Kee, the Springleaf Prata Place and duck specialist Dian Xiao Er.
But how far is Singapore a key market for Alchemy, given how the country declared war against diabetes back in 2016? 
Also – where does the company intend to expand into to achieve greater scale in the medium to longer term? 
On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Alan Phua, Co-founder, Alchemy Foodtech.

Under the Radar: Making carbs great again – Alchemy Foodtech on scaling the business, the importance of Singapore as a testbed and prospects in greater China

Under the Radar: Elon Musk, Astronauts and K-dramas – What’s up with Kopiko and its marketing strategies?

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