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?

Today we’re going to talk about a logistics company that started out of a second hand van a decade ago. 

Founded in 2014 by a group of three friends, our guest is e-commerce express logistics company Ninja Van Group. Fast forward to the present, the firm is now a technology enabled logistics organisation backed by marquee investors including GeoPost, Alibaba, and B Capital Group.

Just to give you a sense of the firm’s scale, Ninja Van said it has a 100% coverage across Southeast Asia, with established operations and networks in six key markets. 

It offers logistics and supply chain products and services for nearly two million shippers, with some two million parcels delivered by its team of over 66,000 people daily. 

Ninja Van is a company that we want to look at because the firm had in April 2024 launched a cold chain offering called Ninja Cold, as well as a business-to-business offering Ninja B2B, as part of efforts to diversify beyond e-commerce and search for higher margin businesses. 

The move come as the firm’s latest financial filings for the financial year ended June 2023 revealed a loss of S$326.8 million in 2023  versus a loss of S$250.2 million in 2022. 

So how does the firm assess its latest financial numbers? What does this say about the opportunities and challenges in operating and expanding within the logistics space? 

And how successful has Ninja Cold and Ninja B2B been over half a year after they were launched?

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lai Chang Wen, CEO, Ninja Van.

Today we’re going to talk about a logistics company that started out of a second hand van a decade ago. 
Founded in 2014 by a group of three friends, our guest is e-commerce express logistics company Ninja Van Group. Fast forward to the present, the firm is now a technology enabled logistics organisation backed by marquee investors including GeoPost, Alibaba, and B Capital Group.
Just to give you a sense of the firm’s scale, Ninja Van said it has a 100% coverage across Southeast Asia, with established operations and networks in six key markets. 
It offers logistics and supply chain products and services for nearly two million shippers, with some two million parcels delivered by its team of over 66,000 people daily. 
Ninja Van is a company that we want to look at because the firm had in April 2024 launched a cold chain offering called Ninja Cold, as well as a business-to-business offering Ninja B2B, as part of efforts to diversify beyond e-commerce and search for higher margin businesses. 
The move come as the firm’s latest financial filings for the financial year ended June 2023 revealed a loss of S$326.8 million in 2023  versus a loss of S$250.2 million in 2022. 
So how does the firm assess its latest financial numbers? What does this say about the opportunities and challenges in operating and expanding within the logistics space? 
And how successful has Ninja Cold and Ninja B2B been over half a year after they were launched?   On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lai Chang Wen, CEO, Ninja Van.

Under the Radar: Ninja Van’s CEO on moving into B2B delivery and cold chain businesses, challenges in operating within the logistics industry now

It is all about the business of love today as we speak to a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. 

Founded 25 years ago, our guest today is Match group, which pioneered the concept of online dating and continues to foster innovation in the dating industry daily. 

The firm boasts a portfolio of brands and is more commonly known as the company behind Tinder, Match and Pairs, providing matching services in over 40 languages to users all over the world.

Today, Match Group has a footprint in 20 offices worldwide, hiring some 2,000 employees. Here in Asia, it is headquartered in Singapore, with its regional team spread across markets including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Vietnam and Thailand. 

The company recently reported its third quarter financial performance, where its operating income stood at US$211 million, down 14 per cent on the year impacted by impairments of tangibles and other charges relating to its exit from Hakuna and other live streaming services. But what were the reasons behind the exit, and how is its Asia business faring on the whole?

Speaking of Match Group’s Asia business, the firm is largely zoomed in on the Japanese market through its dating and marriage app called “Pairs”. 

With a total of over 20 million registered users, Pairs is said to have facilitated every one in 10 marriages in Japan. But what are the key learnings from Pair’s operations in Japan, and how far can the operating model in Japan be replicated in other Asian markets with lower marriage rates?  

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia.

It is all about the business of love today as we speak to a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. 
Founded 25 years ago, our guest today is Match group, which pioneered the concept of online dating and continues to foster innovation in the dating industry daily. 
The firm boasts a portfolio of brands and is more commonly known as the company behind Tinder, Match and Pairs, providing matching services in over 40 languages to users all over the world.
Today, Match Group has a footprint in 20 offices worldwide, hiring some 2,000 employees. Here in Asia, it is headquartered in Singapore, with its regional team spread across markets including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Vietnam and Thailand. 
The company recently reported its third quarter financial performance, where its operating income stood at US$211 million, down 14 per cent on the year impacted by impairments of tangibles and other charges relating to its exit from Hakuna and other live streaming services. But what were the reasons behind the exit, and how is its Asia business faring on the whole?
Speaking of Match Group’s Asia business, the firm is largely zoomed in on the Japanese market through its dating and marriage app called “Pairs”. 
With a total of over 20 million registered users, Pairs is said to have facilitated every one in 10 marriages in Japan. But what are the key learnings from Pair’s operations in Japan, and how far can the operating model in Japan be replicated in other Asian markets with lower marriage rates?  
On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia.

Under the Radar: In the business of love – Match Group Asia’s CEO on what success means for the firm and helping people tie the knot in Japan

Opening new frontiers in information technology and pioneering the future of innovation. That is what we are going to talk about today with our guest from a leading technology services firm in Asia Pacific. 

Founded in 1981, NCS is a subsidiary of Singtel Group that provides what it calls differentiated and end-to-end services to clients with its capabilities in core areas such as application, infrastructure, engineering and cybersecurity.

The firm partners with governments and enterprises across industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, logistics and even healthcare to advance communities through technology. 

Such technologies include the Breeze app, which utilises computer vision and artificial intelligence to help users get around local neighbourhoods such as Tiong Bahru more easily.

Why are we speaking to NCS you might ask? Well, we’re speaking to NCS because the firm is currently doubling down on innovation in emerging areas such as digital, data, cloud and platform through its digital services arm NEXT. 

That’s after the company had in July 2021 announced a major business transformation to reposition it for growth in the 5G era. 

The strategic reset then focused on growing digital services, scaling its government and telco business segment and capturing new growth opportunities in the enterprise sector across key regional markets of Singapore, Australia and Greater China. 

But what has been done thus far and how important is NCS NEXT to the firm alongside its other strategic business groups? And what will the rapid adoption of generative AI mean for the firm as it looks to the second half of the decade? 

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Wynthia Goh, Senior Partner, NCS NEXT.

Opening new frontiers in information technology and pioneering the future of innovation. That is what we are going to talk about today with our guest from a leading technology services firm in Asia Pacific. 
Founded in 1981, NCS is a subsidiary of Singtel Group that provides what it calls differentiated and end-to-end services to clients with its capabilities in core areas such as application, infrastructure, engineering and cybersecurity.
The firm partners with governments and enterprises across industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, logistics and even healthcare to advance communities through technology. 
Such technologies include the Breeze app, which utilises computer vision and artificial intelligence to help users get around local neighbourhoods such as Tiong Bahru more easily.
Why are we speaking to NCS you might ask? Well, we’re speaking to NCS because the firm is currently doubling down on innovation in emerging areas such as digital, data, cloud and platform through its digital services arm NEXT. 
That’s after the company had in July 2021 announced a major business transformation to reposition it for growth in the 5G era. 
The strategic reset then focused on growing digital services, scaling its government and telco business segment and capturing new growth opportunities in the enterprise sector across key regional markets of Singapore, Australia and Greater China. 
But what has been done thus far and how important is NCS NEXT to the firm alongside its other strategic business groups? And what will the rapid adoption of generative AI mean for the firm as it looks to the second half of the decade? 
On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Wynthia Goh, Senior Partner, NCS NEXT.

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

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