Indonesia-based Es Kepal Milo Viral has tapped into a craze for ‘Milo on round ice’, a trending Indonesian treat which has the potential to boost cocoa production in the country.
Nestlé’s Milo is a chocolate drink popular with the Indonesian market. The trending dessert, Es Kepal Milo, uses the beverage to create an iced chocolate treat by pouring Milo over crushed ice in bowls. The name translates to ‘Milo on round ice’, and has had over 170,000 hits online for ‘how-to-make’ videos.
This trend has spiked sales for Nestlé, particularly from Es Kepal Milo Viral, a start-up which has taken hold of the trend to create a brand. Emanuel Agung, owner of Milo Viral, buys over one tonne of Milo a day to supply his 150 stalls across Indonesia.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Agung said: “Demand is incredibly high. Nestlé was overwhelmed with our orders in the first few weeks of sales, but now supply is stable.”
Debora Tjandrakusuma, Nestlé’s director of legal and corporate affairs in Indonesia, also commented in interview with Bloomberg: “We are excited to learn that people have found creative ways in creating recipes using our products.”
Chocolate is seen as a luxury in Indonesia. The popularity for the new dessert suggests that Indonesian demand for chocolate may lift overall as incomes rise, and also showcases the power branding can have on food trends.
Agung also said to Bloomberg: “Milo has a strong brand image, so as long as we maintain the quality, using only pure Milo, then the customers will accept it.
“It’s beyond my expectation. People from the low to middle and higher classes in cars were lining up in my outlets.”
Agung said that he sells Es Kepal Milo for as much as IDR 20,000 ($1.39) per cup mainly to millennials aged between 14 to 26, indicating the younger consumer market for the Indonesian treat.
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