Understanding consumer needs gives Lam Soon an edge

Lam Soon Edible Oils (LSEO) promotes wellness by ensuring a healthy composition in cooking, baking and salad oils that cater to the diverse palate of the multiracial Malaysian market. This ability to understand the varied needs of its market has turned the company's products into household names in Malaysia and Singapore. With the upcoming economic integration of Asean, LSEO aims to deepen the reach of its multiple brands throughout Southeast Asia.

"Lam Soon has been doing business in Southeast Asia for more than 60 years," says Whang Shang Ying, executive chairman. "The key to success is our understanding of the local consumers."

Although the Malaysian population is not as huge as those of China, India or Indonesia, it is distinctive for being multiracial. When it comes to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), this translates into many different market segments. These include cultural attributes, such as Chinese, Malay and Indian, and in terms of socio-economics, whether the market is located in an urban or rural setting.

"To be a successful FMCG company, you really need to understand the aspirations and preferences across all the different segments," Whang says. "This is what we at Lam Soon try to do."

By pioneering the use of palm oil as edible oil in the 1970s, LSEO has contributed a high-value export industry to the Malaysian economy and to the consumers, a low-cost yet healthy alternative to coconut oil and animal fat. The company's continuous innovation has led to a wide variety of personal care products and the increasing use of other vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn and canola oil for baking.

Its latest innovation is the use of biodegradable and renewable plant-based active ingredients in dishwashing liquid. The eco-friendly product line, called bio-home, has received many global awards. It reduces water usage due to its low foam formula and comes in refreshing lemongrass and green tea, lavender and bergamot variants.

LSEO also has long-standing partnerships with Japan's Lion Corporation and Hong Kong's Lee Kum Kee.