Indochine Natural was recently featured in a Malaysian
foreign language magazine featuring natural soap; we were one of the eight soap
brands featured. Indochine Natural soaps
are proudly made in Malaysia, and it was interesting to see how the other seven
brands presented themselves on their websites. Two brands, Soapy and Kinder
Soaps are clearly made in Malaysia, and proudly so. Then we have the imported
brands, plus another group that is neither here nor there.
These “neither here nor there” soap brands in Malaysia are
interesting….they give the impression of being local, but there is no strong
evidence that they are actually made in Malaysia, and one suspects that they
are probably cheap China imports packaged with Malaysian branding.
We would therefore say to Malaysians, it is time to support
MADE IN MALAYSIA. When was the last time you looked at
something and said, I’m buying/doing/getting/trying this because it is made in
Malaysia? In Malaysia we don’t see the same kind of nationalistic consumerism
as we see in Australia for example with the “Australian Made” branding.
There are challenges for local startups
…..firstly the Malaysian market is not big and strong enough to launch new
locally made brands, and there is the consumer skepticism and doubt about
locally made products. What is required therefore is a change in consumer
mentality….not to completely drop overnight those imported brands but to allow
a little more room for more than one product in your life, and to embrace
experimentation and try a few local brands.
Apart from Indochine Natural, Soapy
and Kinder Soaps, there are some other great Malaysian made handmade natural
soaps out there……seek them out and give them a try, you may be pleasantly
surprised, and at the same time you are supporting a locally made product. But
please, do speak to the soap maker and double check that they are in fact made
in Malaysia.
Check out the Indochine Natural products, all proudly made in Malaysia.
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