Bee Cheng Hiang

Bee Cheng Hiang (Chinese:美珍香）is a Singapore-based company that produces and sells a wide variety of food product, most notably its signature bakkwa (smoked and roasted pieces of pork, similar to jerky). 1. History In 1933, Mr Teo Swee Ee started selling his homemade pork slices in Chinatown. The delicacy, which he later introduced as bakkwa, was well received and was in high demand especially during Chinese New Year, where it was seen as a special snack for families and loved ones. [13] The success in his early business led to the opening of the first branch in 1945 in Rochor Road. [1] However, huge hulking trucks parked outside obstructed the view of their Rochor Road outlet from potential customers. Mr Teo pioneered mobile advertising in Singapore when he paid the owner of the trucks to advertise his bakkwa’s brand name, Bee Cheng Hiang, on them. [13] Throughout the decades, Mr Teo’s strategy was to maintain bakkwa as a unique New Year delicacy. The delicacy picked up popularity over time and enabled the business to lift off, bringing in a sustainable base of consumers during the festive periods. [1] In the 1980s, business was booming for Bee Cheng Hiang. Their revenue increased by 20 per cent every year as consumers were willing to spend. [13] Mr Wong began revamping the Bee Cheng Hiang experience by modernising the brand’s image. He changed the atmosphere of the outlets to feature a cheery and welcoming space for their customers. The company also invested S$1.5 million in research and development that generated 100 new products every year, of which 20 would eventually be launched for sale. [13] In early 2000s, the company had expanded into a “multimillion-dollar business and had become a household name throughout Asia.” [13] 2. Company Profile In 2001, according to Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry at the time, Minister George Yeo mentioned that “the key to Bee Cheng Hiang’s success lies in its strong branding and comprehensive franchise system.” [10] Mr Wong motivates staff performance by providing cash incentives if they achieve sales targets, as well as awarding the “Best Outlet” achievement to the Bee Cheng Hiang outlets in Singapore. [11] Logo Bee Cheng Hiang’s logo was designed by its founder Mr Teo Swee Ee, who chose three Chinese characters to represent the brand: the word 美, which is translated to mean “appearance” in English; the Chinese word for flavour, 珍 and the word for aroma, 香. [7] Locations Bee Cheng Hiang has over 262 outlets in 9 countries- Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, The Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea, with 38 retail stores in Singapore. [14] After receiving positive feedback from Korean customers who travelled to Singapore and Hong Kong, Bee Cheng Hiang made the decision to expand to South Korea. Despite facing the challenges of a language barrier, the company opened two outlets in Seoul in 2010. [9] 3. Products Bee Cheng Hiang sells a variety of meat products, including pork, chicken and beef floss, cuttlefish, and other assorted snacks. Their investment in research and development helped to deliver a continual stream of new products. Every year, 100 new products are created, of which 20 makes it to the shelves. [13] Bakkwa Bee Cheng Hiang’s bakkwa is prepared by weaving meat by hand, using a traditional bamboo sieve. It is then smothered slowly for hours over live coals, and barbecued over a glowing fire until it spatters. After which, it is grilled together with meat juices. [2] To maintain the quality of their food, Bee Cheng Hiang does not use any food additives, colouring or seasoning. [2] Bee Cheng Hiang introduced bacon-like slices of bakkwa - "Gourmet Bakkwa" in 2003 and the "Chilli Gourmet Bakkwa" in 2005. They then included other products to include prawn rolls, crispy pork floss and cuttlefish. Bakkwa has become one of Singapore’s culinary specialties enjoyed during Chinese New Year. [12] It was such a popular item that the Bloomberg News released a Bakkwa Index in 2007 which surveyed major bakkwa retailers and three of its most popular items. [16] [17] Bee Cheng Hiang was one of the vendors surveyed in the Bakkwa Index and is the leading market player with the most number of outlets in Singapore. [16] In 2011, despite the increased price of bakkwa due to growing manpower and ingredient costs, Bee Cheng Hiang still experienced a 15 percent increase in sales. Mr Daniel Wong attributes it to the rise of consumer’s spending power and their confidence in Singapore’s economy. [17] Variations Gourmet Bakkwa The Gourmet Bakkwa is made from “rashers of streaky pork belly instead of minced meat.” [3] The use of good meat from the pig in the making of this product is directed towards attracting consumers who seek better quality meat for their snacks. Mini Bite-sized packets of bakkwa packaged as a quick snack was introduced in mid-2006. [4] This product was created for consumers that did not have easy access to a Bee Cheng Hiang outlet. [13] Chiziban The Chiziban is a thin crispy version of bakkwa made from pork loin, which has fewer calories and less fat than chicken breast. The snack does not contain any monosodium glutamate (MSG) or artificial colouring. [5] Chiziban was released and marketed as a healthier snack to attract the younger and increasingly health-conscious generation. [5] The product was also awarded with the Healthier Choice Symbol by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board. [6] Copycat products In 2001, Bee Cheng Hiang faced the issue of copycat stalls cropping up during the Chinese New Year period at Chinatown. Stallholders sold bakkwa with packaging that featured the Bee Cheng Hiang brand name but without their logo. These stallholders also sold their products at prices lower than the genuine products from the company’s official outlets. Bee Cheng Hiang eventually did not take legal action against these stallholders as the problem was only prevalent during the Chinese New Year period. [15] Written by: Bryan Yan, Gabriel Tan, Ethan Lee, Brendan Wan and Alex Cheong. References [1] Bee Cheng Hiang. (2014). Our Story. Retrieved from http://www.beechenghiang.com.sg/our-story.html [2] Bee Cheng Hiang. (2014). Our Bakkwa. Retrieved from http://www.beechenghiang.com.sg/our-story/our-bakkwa.html [3] Cquek. (2012). Bee Cheng Hiang’s Gourmet Bakkwa, Penang. Retrieved from http://www.cquek.com/2012/11/bee-cheng-hiangs-gourmet-bakkwa.html [4] Bee Cheng Hiang. (2014). Mini Ez Chicken. Retrieved from http://www.beechenghiang.com.sg/online-shop/vacuum-packed-bak-kwa-64/mini-ez-chicken.html [5] The Straits Times. (1998, December 27). This bak kwa is crispy and has less fat. The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19981227-1.2.69.16.aspx [6] Today. (2007, February 1). CRISPY CHEERS. Today, (Afternoon Edition). Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20070201-2.2.78.3.aspx [7] Bee Cheng Hiang. (2014). Our Logo. Retrieved from http://www.beechenghiang.com.sg/our-story/our-logo.html [8] Tan, C. H. (2001). Financing for Entrepreneurs and Businesses. Singapore: Singapore University Press. [9] Jethani, H. (2010, November 17). Seoul far so good for Bee Cheng Hiang. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva. [10] The Straits Times. (2001, July 30). Three SMEs show the way to success. The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes20010730-1.2.61.7.19.aspx [11] Lau, F. K. (2001, August 6). Bee Cheng Hiang blends old and new for the perfect recipe. The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes20010806-1.2.50.23.20.aspx [12] Ebrahim, N., & Yaw, Y. Y. (2006). Singapore: Not Just a Good Food Guide (pp. 225-226). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. [13] Lee, M. (2007). World Conquest in Progress: what happens when Singapore companies internationalise (pp. 108-131). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Business. [14] Bee Cheng Hiang. (2014). Our Presence. Retrieved from http://www.beechenghiang.com.sg/our-story/our-presence.html [15] Allen, P. (2001, January 18). Bak Kwa copycat. The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes20010118-1.2.28.2.aspx [16] Mak, M. S. (2007, February 4). Banking on Bak Kwa. The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes20070204-2.2.58.1.3.4.aspx [17] Huang, L. (2011, January 20). Bak kwa prices on sizzling climb. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva. [19] Mirandah G. (2002). Efforts to Correct Cases of Mistaken Identity Prove Costly. Retrieved from http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=5963ec90-d907-447d-b636-338281ee4dd45