ASCENSIA AND ALPRO PHARMACY FIRST-IN-KIND DIABETES MANAGEMENT SUBSCRIPTION PLAN

In addressing the need for greater affordability and accessibility in managing diabetes, Ascensia Diabetes Care (Ascensia), together with Alpro Pharmacy, a home grown retail pharmacy chain in Malaysia, today launched sugO365, a first-of-its-kind diabetes subscription plan in Malaysia.  

sugO365, which was conceptualised by a group of highly-trained and visionary individuals from Malaysia’s health care industry, is an innovative platform that allows Malaysians living with diabetes the ability to manage and learn how to manage their diabetes effectively through the use of digital technology. 

Speaking at the launch of sugO365, Maximillian Lim, Managing Director of Ascensia Diabetes Care Malaysia, said, “Self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) is undeniably an important aspect for those living with diabetes. As the world’s leading diabetes care solutions provider, we are committed to simplify the lives of people with diabetes, empowering them to take charge of their health. With sugO365, they can focus on what matters the most: their diabetes control.” 

According to Lim, Ascensia recently spearheaded a grassroots diabetes survey that found that those living with diabetes are discouraged from performing appropriate self-monitoring blood glucose because of the cost. The survey also found that over 50% of the diabetic respondents believe that the primary responsibility of diabetes management is very much a doctor’s duty, not the patients. 

“We believe that the subscription plan will address the issue of affordability and accessibility to timely and accurate information. With that, we hope to empower people with diabetes to take charge of their diabetes,"Lim said.sugO365 comes in four different plans-sugO Trial, sugOVIP, sugO COMBO and sugOMAX, exclusive for diabetes mellitus type 1 patient. Upon signing up,subscribers will be given a free COUNTOUR®PLUS ONE Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The device is wireless-enabled with Bluetooth® connectivity and can seamlessly connect to the mobile app on a smartphone.The app collects, stores and analyses the subscriber’s blood glucose readings in real-time. Through this easy-to-use app, the subscriber will have a better understanding of how their daily activities affect their blood glucose results that may impact their diabetes management. 

Subscribers will get personalized care from Alpro Pharmacy’s certified health care professionals, including pharmacists, nutritionists and dieticians, through LIVE chat and face-to-face consultation. There will also be webinar and diabetes health tips available. According to Ph. Lee Yin Chen, Branding, Promotion and Trade Marketing Director from Alpro Pharmacy,the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) estimated that the medical cost for a person living with diabetes is approximately RM71,000 ($16,750) per year and of that amount RM4,100 ($9,601) is attributed to diabetes treatment. This is more than twice the medical cost for those without diabetes.“With sugO365, we can help to relieve the burden on patients who are faced with high diabetes expenses. Most importantly, they will get to access to accurate information at their fingertips.”

“Moving forward, both Ascensia and Alpro will continue to bring about more features to this subscription plan. Our ultimate goal is to encourage Malaysians to take charge of their own livesand encourage their loved ones to do the same,” he concluded. 

SugOVIP, the most comprehensive plan, is priced at RM360 onwards for one year and is available to all members of Alpro Pharmacy. In conjunction with the launch of sugO365, customers of Alpro Pharmacy who have successfully purchased MSIG Gluco SafeGuard Insurance during the campaign period will be entitled to a complimentary sugO VIP package worth RM360.00. 

 

Sharing is caring, share this info with your loved ones and friends too. For further information on sugO365, visit www.sugo365.com.my or the nearest Alpro Pharmacy.


About Ascensia Diabetes Care 
Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high-quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes.

Home to the world-renowned CONTOUR® portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that helps people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation, and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity. 

Ascensia Diabetes Care was established in 2016 through the sale of Bayer Diabetes Care to Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd. Ascensia Diabetes Care products are sold in more than 125 countries. Ascensia Diabetes Care has around 1,700 employees and operations in 31 countries. 
For further information, please visit the Ascensia Diabetes Care website at: http://www.ascensia.com.

About Alpro Pharmacy 
Alpro Pharmacy is one of the fastest-growing homegrown pharmacy retail chains in Malaysia. Founded by Ph. Low Swee Siong and Ph. Hiew Fei Tsong, the first Alpro Pharmacy, opened at Negeri Sembilan in February 2002. 

As a strong advocate of Medication Safety, Alpro Pharmacy is the first and only pharmacy in Malaysia that has insured all the medication sold for its Genuity and safety up to RM1million. It has also won two (2)Star Outstanding Business Awards and two (2) Sinchew Business Excellence Awards from the year 2016 to 2018 for its innovation in providing patient care and corporate social responsibility.  

Currently, Alpro Pharmacy has over 800employees and85outlets all over Malaysia, including 23 in Negeri Sembilan, 11 in Klang Valley, 12 in Johor, 8 in Sarawak, 8 in Pahang, 7 in Penang and other major cities in Malaysia.

The New Revolution on 11street

11street's CEO, CHEONG Chia Chou also shared insights on the 8 key focus areas that the online marketplace will be focusing on in the near future.

11street (www.11street.my), one of the leading online marketplaces in Malaysia, is seeing a new revolution that will further enhance the user shopping experience and make significant contributions to the digital economy in Malaysia. This transformation comes on the heels of a strategic partnership between 11street and PUC Ventures Sdn Bhd. This partnership aims to tap into a broader digital world with the ease of integration and interoperability across platforms that cater to the country’s growing e-commerce sector.


Over the years, the Malaysian digital economy has witnessed an exponential growth with a total of 25 million internet users out of a 32 million total population. Presently, there are 15.2 million online shoppers in Malaysia who spend an average of RM321.15 annually. However, the online shopping user penetration rate is expected to rise from 51.4% in 2018 to 63.0% in 2022. To add to that, the e-commerce industry revenue is expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2018 - 2022) of 17.9%, resulting in a market volume of over a trillion by 2022.

CEO of 11street, CHEONG Chia Chou said: “As everything in our world becomes digitalised, there is a need for a stronger e-commerce ecosystem where a customer’s physical digital journey can be fully integrated. Businesses are pushed to ride the wave of this rapid industry expansion to ultimately grow their businesses at a larger scale for better profitability and presence. The online marketplace in Malaysia can certainly be expected to grow at a swift speed in the coming years and the revamped 11street is reiterating our commitment to further contributing to the digital segment in our future plans.”


Upgrading the online shopping experience is more pertinent than ever with the growing user penetration and an internet penetration of 85.7% amongst Malaysians. 11street’s goal is to create a seamless and integrated customer shopping experience as well as to emphasise business development for their sellers that will increase their capability and capacity of running their businesses. Some of 11street’s key focus areas for the near future include:


* Payment Options
As we move towards the cashless payment trend in Malaysia, more and more users are preferring online transfer and credit or debit cards as a payment method when shopping online. The revamped 11street will be implementing a variety of payment options including e-wallet services such as Boost and Presto that are both seamless and convenient to use.



* Shopper Experience
To better enhance the site experience and address customers’ concerns in a timely manner, 11street will be rolling out a live chat function with in-house customer service for shoppers.

* Logistics
As with any online business, logistics are a crucial aspect of ensuring an ecommerce business runs smoothly. 11street aims to help their sellers enhance their business operations to improve the speed, cost and quality of their product deliveries.

* Mobile App
11street will be introducing a new user-friendly mobile app with minimal hassle to make purchases with the growing array of payment options enabled within the app. The online marketplace is also looking into setting up an influencer and celebrity store that comes with product reviews for a holistic shopper experience.

* O2O Commerce
11street will also enable convenient e-voucher sales management for sellers as well as consumer-friendly and innovative methods of purchasing products online which include QR code purchases and redemption.

* Official Stores
The online marketplace will also be re-launching official stores with enhanced features, look and feel to promote authenticity as well as supporting their sellers with after-sale service to draw in long-term customers.

* Micro Social influencers
This added feature will boost promotional outcomes and create an effective promotion and rewards channel for sellers and businesses by leveraging on the community of micro social influencers.

* Global Trade
11street will support their sellers by taking measures to evolve into a hub for overseas buying and selling through cross border trade which will boost SME growth while introducing these sellers to a world of opportunities.


CHEONG said: “We are really looking forward to the next phase of our growth and transformation as it focuses on continuously providing more benefits to both our customers and sellers. We want our customers to have the best possible experience when shopping with us and purchasing from highly efficient and trusted merchants. We are also dedicated to providing support to local sellers through development programs and upgrades to our system that will make running their businesses even smoother. This is a significant beginning for us and we’re excited to explore and push boundaries in e-commerce to better contribute to our digital economy.”


11street is kicking off their next phase with the launch of their Sayangi Malaysia campaign that promises exclusive deals and awesome giveaways from August 6 to September 30. With the support of brands such as Abbott, Chicco, Dale & Cecil, Dettol, Mamy Poko, Mead Johnson, Nestle, Samsung, Senheng, Skechers, Super and Watsons, 11street customers can look forward to
buy 1 free 1 deals and flash deals below RM61 on the online marketplace. Shoppers also have the benefit of product discounts of up to 88% and free shipping for all. 11street is also offering customers fantastic holiday and travel deals that are not to be missed out on. Visit www.11street.my to find out more.

About 11street (www.11street.my)
11street is a trustworthy and convenient online marketplace that offers a great variety of products at competitive prices. It strives to revolutionise consumer’s online shopping experience by making it more personalised and engaging. 11street has a diverse selection of product categories which are tagged on Fashion, Electronics, Groceries, Health & Beauty, Kids & Baby, Leisure & Sports, Home & Living, and Books & Services including e-vouchers. 11street is also an optimised marketplace where its merchandising ecosystem, education, and training programs can fully support sellers regardless of the size of their business. Established in Korea since 2008, 11street is now one of the top global e-commerce marketplaces with 400,000 sellers serving over 30million consumers worldwide. 11street in Malaysia is operated by Celcom Planet Sdn. Bhd. – a joint venture between Axiata Digital Services Sdn. Bhd., SK Planet Ltd, and PUC Ventures Sdn. Bhd. For more information, visit www.11street.my


About PUC Ventures Sdn Bhd
Established on 13 April 2018, PUC Ventures Sdn Bhd (“PUCV”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PUC Berhad ("PUC"). As an investment holding company, PUCV identifies opportunities through the investment or acquisition of equity interests with strategic alliances or joint ventures. PUCV’s target segments are companies which are primarily engaged in electronic commerce (“eCommerce”) businesses, electronic payment services, financial services, technological services, and related businesses which are synergistic and complementary to the existing businesses of PUC and its subsidiaries.


About Axiata Digital
Axiata Digital Services (Axiata Digital), the digital services arm of Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata), was established to support the increasingly digital lifestyle of Axiata consumers. In four years, this portfolio now consists of 18 digital brands focused on digital financial services (e-wallets, remittance, micro-insurance and micro-lending), digital advertising and platform services focused on API’s (Application Programming Interface) among which are Apigate, Boost, ada, BIMA, 11street and StoreKing. For more information, please visit www.axiatadigital.com.

dahmakan Partners Ayam Brand™ To Deliver the Authentic Taste and Healthy Goodness of Coconut Milk

Ayam Brand™ one of Malaysia’s favorite household brands with its wide range of food products is partnering Malaysian leading food delivery startup, dahmakan, to bring the rich taste of coconut milk to even more people in the Kuala Lumpur through dahmakan’s healthy, gourmet meal delivery.

(From left) Mr Jonathan Weins, CEO and Co-founder of dahmakan, Mr Nathan Deverre, Ayam Brand™ Malaysia’s Strategic Marketing Advisor and Executive Chef Riza Ismail at dahmakan’s headquarters.

"dahmakan" which in Malay, means "Have you eaten?", is making daily food delivery an affordable, everyday experience. Their 5* hotel chef team creates healthy lunches and dinners crafted with the finest ingredients which are conveniently delivered to customers’ office or homes within 45mins of ordering. Ayam Brand is synonymous with healthy, MSG and preservative free food.

Ayam Brand™ Coconut Milk is also included in dahmakan’s signature Chicken Rendang dish.

The collaboration between the two brands is built on their shared values of providing healthy, MSG and preservative free foods. This collaborative effort ensures dahmakan consumers enjoy the taste and health benefits of Ayam Brand™ Coconut Milk in their signature dishes including Chicken Rendang and Chicken Percik. The partnership will run from June 29, 2018 for a three-month period.

dahmakan’s delicious Chicken Percik is cooked with Ayam Brand™ Coconut Milk

“Malaysians love food and have very finely-honed taste-buds when it comes to local favourites such as Nasi Lemak, rendang and curry. Food quality is something we take great pride on at dahmakan. We want to make sure we are using the finest ingredients, not compromising on taste and aroma” said Jonathan Weins, CEO and co-founder of dahmakan.


“Ayam Brand™ has been championing the goodness, versatility and convenience of our coconut milk for many years. Partnering with dahmakan allows us to wow a new group of users who can appreciate the taste of quality coconut milk in gourmet meals in local cuisine. We hope that the deliciousness of the Ayam Brand™ dahmakan meals will motivate them to recreate similar recipes,” Mr Nathan Deverre, Ayam Brand™ Malaysia’s Strategic Marketing Advisor.


Malaysians have long loved coconut milk and other coconut products as coconut recorded the highest per capita consumption (PCC) of 17kg per year1, topping the chart of consumption for fruit crops in Malaysia. Ayam Brand™ is among Malaysia’s top-selling coconut milk brands.


Try out dahmakan’s new menu with Ayam Brand™ coconut milk and order from their website at https://dahmakan.com/menu with prices ranging from RM18 to RM29 inclusive of delivery. Alternatively, you can also order via their app, downloadable from Google Play Store for Android users and Apple App Store for iOs users.


The complete range of Ayam Brand™ healthy and convenient products are available at retail outlets nationwide. Please visit us at http://www.ayambrand.com.my/recipes-video for more ways to enjoy Ayam Brand™ products!

CARiNG Pharmacy digitises Rewards

As a brand that seeks to constantly evolve to stay relevant, CARiNG Pharmacy proved its ability to embrace the digital age with the introduction of its new CARiNG Regular Membership Programme in January 2018.

Developed in partnership with Capillary Tech, the CARiNG Regular Membership Programme is a mobile based application that aims to connect, engage and reward the customer within a single solution. With the launch of this app, the company is set to service their customers both in physical stores and virtually, while maintaining an effective CEM (customer experience management) platform.

The mobile app is available to be downloaded for free on App Store for Apple devices or Google Play for Android devices. Upon launching of the app and providing basic personal details, new users are given a membership for a lifetime and are rewarded with 200 Welcome Points that they can accumulate and later be used to redeem CARiNG Cash Vouchers.

 

The CARiNG Regular Membership Programme app is more than just a 'digital membership card'. It keeps users abreast of the latest happenings and not-to-be-missed promotions. Check on the its 'HOME' screen, users are able to access latest news on health and nutrition, specially curated by CARiNG team for health experts. Updates on CARiNG's regular roadshows, free health screenings, talks and workshops are also available on this screen. In a bid to day go paperless, CARiNG's quaterly newslatters are just a click away from the mobile app.

With over 114 CARiNG Pharmacy branches nationwide and counting, users might feel overwhelmed and encounter difficulty locating the nearest branch. The ‘LOCATION’ button within the app allows users to locate the nearest CARiNG outlets and save their favourite ones for future reference.

The ingenious ‘VOUCHER’ button in the app displays all the user’s available vouchers and details at a glance, eliminating the need to physically keep and manage several vouchers at a time. No more scrambling to locate a lost voucher or leaving a voucher to expire! On their birthday month, users are rewarded with a RM5 birthday voucher and also receive 3x birthday points on all their purchases.

As an electronic loyalty ‘card’, the app provides the benefits of a regular card minus the hassle and baggage of one. A click on the ‘MEMBER’ button reveals a user’s membership number, barcode for scanning and loyalty points accumulated for redemption.

With the rise of online shopping, naturally the CARiNG app incorporates an ‘E-STORE” button that directs users to CARiNG Pharmacy’s online store where they can beat the crowds and traffic, for a peaceful shopping experience in the comforts of home.

Acknowledging that most consumers are swamped with a myriad of loyalty program and membership cards that would overwhelm any wallet, Managing Director of CARiNG Pharmacy Retail Management Sdn Bhd Mr Chong Yeow Siang, joked with the guests during the official launch of the CARiNG Regular Membership Programme at 1Utama Shopping Centre, “What is the use of a loyalty program card if it sits idle at home together with twenty other membership cards? These days, no one leaves home without their mobile phones, so our CARiNG Regular Membership Programme remains accessible at all times!”

At the light-hearted launch, brands like Tiger Balm, Allergan, Scotts, Blackmores, Dermareen, Avene, QV, Splat, Jordan, Cypress Medi, GoodMorning, Body Buddy, Hiruscar and Brand’s took part in showcasing their products by giving the guests an experiential session. Guests were also treated to a highly entertaining appearance by Malaysia’s very own Mr. Bean and a dance performance. They also got to rub shoulder with celebrity guests; actress and TV host Dynas Mokhtar and 988 radio DJ and 8TV host Cheryl Lee Xin Yi. The two celebrities also shared with the audience their experience with the CARiNG Shopper Loyalty app.

“As an advocate for environmental preservation, I like that this app negates the need of piles of paper for newsletters, promotional flyers and chunky plastic cards that end up in landfills. Most of all, I love that this app has an all-in-one application for latest news updates, membership, shopping and management of vouchers.” said Dynas during the interactive session of the event.

The positive feedback was echoed by Cheryl who said, “I have so many membership cards that I never utilize because I end up keeping them at home, as they end up taking so much space in my bag, collectively. In the end, I think it defeats the purpose of having a membership card as I never manage to collect any points or utilise the member’s discounts. In fact, I have stopped joining loyalty programs precisely for this reason. This app is a fresh breath of air as it addresses the main problem with loyalty cards and even threw in lots of bonuses, too!”.

 

“With the launch of this loyalty app, we hope to be able to feel closer to our customers to be able to deliver better services and products, while rewarding them for trusting us with their healthcare and medical needs.” said Mr Chong.

Did you visit the CARiNG Regular Membership Programme launch event at 1Utama Shopping Centre Ground Floor Centre Court (Old Wing) from 28 March – 1 April 2018? The CARING Regular Membership Programme launch event have many exciting offers while collecting points to redeem cash vouchers.