Takeda boosts presence in supplements market

The company describes its target consumer as the “digital-age working man and woman” – a demographic driving robust growth in the Thai supplements market.
Takeda is the latest pharmaceutical giant to enter the arena, determined to capture a substantial share of the rapidly growing Thai supplements market.
Spurred on by the success in Thailand of its Hicee chewable vitamin C tablets last year, the company is implementing a strategy of continual market penetration with the launch of Alinamin EX Plus, a premium-quality vitamin B complex.
The product features fursultiamine, Takeda’s licensed vitamin B1 derivative.
The company says the vitamin complex plays an important role in repairing and improving nerve function. Because of its ability to boost energy for cells, it is especially useful to counter fatigue and weakness, and also increases the body’s capacity to recover from injury.
It also supports pregnant and breastfeeding women, and relieves various conditions related to vitamin B1 deficiency, including inflamed nerve endings and numbness in the fingertips and toes.
In short, “the product is a natural fit with health-conscious consumers and new-generation working types facing the demands of a hectic urban lifestyle”, Takeda says.
Ivan Poljak, vice president, head of commercial operations and head of Indochina at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, said the vitamin and supplements market in Thailand had grown very rapidly in the past five years, marked by a notable upsurge in health consciousness among urbanites.
Faced with long hours and hectic daily routines, “the working-age cohort is increasingly embracing vitamins and supplements to boost efficiency at work and to help the body maintain a healthy equilibrium”, he said.
Valued at Bt2.7 billion last year, the Thai market is expected to grow 10 per cent this year based on this ever-expanding demand.
Number one in Japan, and with proven success worldwide, Takeda is optimally placed to capture its share of the burgeoning Thai market for premium vitamins and supplements, Poljak said.
With this objective in mind, and buoyed by Hicee’s robust performance the previous year, Takeda will import other Japanese-made products to increase its market share, reaching out especially to working women.
Its current objective is to ensure that “digital-age consumers embrace Alinamin EX Plus as the nutritive support they need to offset the fatigue engendered by our constant, daily reliance on computers, smart phones and tablets”.
Having seen continuous growth in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in the Thai market, Takeda is taking a major step by increasing its presence in its OTC offerings, expecting to grow 7 per cent in the product category this year.
Its marketing strategy, therefore, revolves around the core demographic of urban working people aged 25 and up.
Takeda will increase distribution through modern trade outlets like Boots, Tsuruha and other leading drugstores in Thailand.
The company will also promote brand recognition through commercials and public relations spots via newspapers and online sites, and educate consumers on topical health issues.
Takeda will introduce selected products from Japan continually over the next few years, steadily expanding its business presence in a bid to assume market leadership in five years.