Purefoods maintains lead in ham segment

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods Hormel Co. Inc. has maintained its lead in the Christmas ham category, a segment that typically sees intense competition during the fourth quarter of the year, two recent market studies by well-known research firms, found.

In an independent retail trade audit conducted nationwide by Nielsen, Purefoods Christmas hams, with Purefoods Fiesta Ham as its flagship brand, came out as the no. 1 brand in the country in terms of volumes and sales.

In another survey conducted by TNS Global, a global research firm with presence in 80 countries, Purefoods Christmas Hams, again led by Purefoods Fiesta Ham, bested seven other well-known brands as the “runaway favorite” of almost 80 percent of the total respondents.

Purefoods also came out on top of the consumer survey as the brand most often used or served (76 percent) and also registered the highest trial rate (94 percent), meaning nine out of 10 have tried the brand.

“It’s a big affirmation that almost eight out of 10 consumers continue to favour Purefoods Christmas Hams. Purefoods Fiesta Ham has been preferred and trusted by generations of Filipino families who want to make their Christmas celebration extra-special. It is an important part of the Filipino Christmas tradition,” says group product manager Mira Calaranan.

The brand, made of pure, premium meat sugar-glazed to perfection, was first released in the early 1980s, and has been the market leader since. 

Dubbed the “Star of the Noche Buena”, its success helped make hams an integral part of Filipino Christmas celebrations, attracting many other players in the market and sparking fierce competition.

Purefoods-Hormel, a unit under food firm San Miguel Pure Foods Co. Inc., has also successfully launched a full range of ham brands, including Purefoods Jamon de Bola, Pear-Shaped Ham, Brick Ham, Chinese Ham, Tasty Ham. New lines include Purefoods Fiesta Ham Slices, and Purefoods Fiesta Ham Smoked Bone-In.