Selecta sticks at the top of the ice cream market

MANILA, Philippines - The catchy “3-in-1 plus 1” jingle for the latest Selecta ice cream TV ad could well be a subtle reference to what the company, Unilever RFM Ice Cream Inc., has accomplished over the past three years, and what makes the Selecta brand a hit among Filipinos.

From a small, family-run ice cream parlor catering to the post-war Manila market, Selecta rose to national prominence after the Concepcion-owned food and beverage conglomerate RFM Corp. acquired the company in 1990 and turned its backyard operations into a full-scale commercial venture.

As the new management ushered the iconic brand into the big league – international licensing deals, stock market listing, expanding into allied businesses – Selecta’s success story and its potential growth prospects lured another big catch – no less than the world’s largest ice cream company, Unilever, which in 1999 agreed to a joint venture with RFM, elevating Selecta to the global stage.

With this dynamic, “glocal” partnership, Selecta swiftly gained headway in the domestic market and by 2005, claimed more than half or 54 percent, of total sales, a figure that stands until today.

“We have a very strong foundation as it combines the professional approach of a global company and the entrepreneurial mindset of a local firm. In that way, we are truly glocal,” says John Marie Concepcion, managing director and CEO of Unilever RFM Ice Cream.

He points out that Selecta’s market leadership not only encompasses the Greater Manila Area, a region that accounts for three-fifths of all ice cream consumed in the country, but is also reflected in other regional markets like Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“One of our strength is our focus – we only produce one thing and we do it best,” Concepcion stresses, adding they do not see any need to diversify into other products as what other companies resort to when looking for additional revenue sources.

He notes that despite a considerably low penetration level of ice cream consumption in the Philippines, with only about 25 percent of the population regularly buying, Selecta has managed to post double-digit sales growth over the past three years and this would likely be sustained this year.

The company sold about P3 billion worth of ice cream last year, including exports to the US, Japan and the Middle East. The Selecta line will soon be made available at all 7-Eleven outlets in Taiwan.

Concepcion says Selecta’s sales success is likewise a testament to the superior flavor and quality of its products and the company’s passion for innovation, whipping out the best ice cream creations that continue to freeze competition.

Selecta was the first to offer the Double Dutch and Very Rocky Road flavors on an ice cream stick format. It also came out with multiple flavors in a pack – the new 3-in-1+1, the first ice cream pack that offers four flavors, and its popular Family Pack.

Today, Selecta is well-known for its signature flavors, from its Queso Real that has loads of quality cheddar cheese in vanilla ice cream mixed with pure coconut cream to add Pinoy twist to its taste; Coffee Crumble that is infused with the full-bodied flavor of freshly brewed Monk’s Blend Coffee – a fusion of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans grown by monks in the hills of Bukidnon; down to its Cookies and Cream, a flavor which was first introduced by Selecta to the Philippines from the United States.

This year, it has upgraded even further and farther its quality taste and rich flavor by being the first to collaborate with Manila’s top chefs to create premium ice cream with its latest offering – the Selecta Gold Series.

A global giant in Unilever, a domestic leader in RFM, and a strong brand in Selecta firmly add up to make the company No. 1 in the Philippine ice cream market.