MARCA PIÑA SOY SAUCE has a long and hallowed history that dates back to the late 1940s starting patriarch Kiam Tiam Sy who built the brand from scratch in their backyard and turned it into a product of national prominence in the 60s and 70s.
It all began when Mr. Kiam Tiam Sy began marketing the soy sauce from his backyard factory, under the name National Soy Corporation. He, along with his son Tian Tan Sy, formulated the brand with a taste so superior-tasting that Marca Piña soon became the no. 1 brand in Pampanga, Tarlac and the National Capital Region. In Batangas and Laguna, it had 90% of the market.
Its heyday began with its effective advertising that revolved around its claim as the best-tasting in the market. Thus, the slogan “PIÑAkamasarap!” was born in 1968, appearing on top of their newpaper and magazine ads. But the line took off when, in 1972, a new Marca Piña TV commercial was produced by Convey Advertising featuring a precocious boy who was supposed to conclude the commercial by saying “Piñakamasarap”.
But try
as he would, the little boy could only manage to say “piñarap” or
worse, piñanap”, take after take. The shooting made no progress as a
result, so the director decided to go ahead and use the cut with “piñarap!”,
the best the boy could do. He figured, the audience might find it cute, anyway.
Indeed, as once the budget TV ad was aired, Marca Pina’s slogan became a byword , thanks to the adorable little Chinese boy who uttered “Piñarap!!” to millions of TV watchers nationwide, and propelled the brand to greater heights.
The
model was TIAN SY, then, the 3-year old son of Tian Tan Sy, and grandson of founder Kiam
Tiam Sy. For the next few years, Tian Sy was the face of Marca
Piña, and his TV ad continued to delight viewers while working wonders for
their soy sauce business.
However, the next 2 decades would bring much change to the company that included renaming the condiment company as Balanced Food Corp. in 1973. Five years later, it was redubbed as “Piñakamasarap Corp.”. Labor problems began to surface too, and it was believed that the work force was infiltrated by militants who threatened the owners. This prompted the Sys to flee to Canada and halt Marca Piña’s operation from 1993-1997.
TIAN SY had gone to Canada even earlier to start college at the University of Toronto. When things settled down, the Sys returned to the Philippines to restart the company, and no less that TIAN SY—the commercial star that made the brand slogan famous—was named as CEO of the Piñakamasarap Corp. To prepare himself for the role, he took Master in Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies at the Asia Institute of Management from 2004-2005. He also started his family with wife Mir and 2 children.
With TIAN
SY at the helm, he sought to relaunch MARCA PIÑA Soy Sauce , bring
it back to supermarket shelves through more dynamic distributors. He also asked
for the reformulation of the soy sauce to appeal to more modern tastes. To
capture the younger market, he employed social media to connect them better to
a legacy brand. But to reintroduce MARCA PIÑA Soy Sauce to the national
market, he relied on his gut instinct—replicate the scene he made famous and
which solidified Marca Piña’s leadership.
He did
not have to go on an expensive casting search, as his ka-lookalike son with
wife Mir Sy—Christian--was ready to take on the roll. The bubbly boy not only said the word “Piñarap”
perfectly, but also sang the whole jingle. Footages from the old commercial
were inserted to underline the appeal of the brand across generations.
Aired in January 2007, the new “Piñarap Boy” TVC enjoyed a high recall, a big boost to Marca Piña’s 20% market share. The CEO who once was a drumbeater for the brand wants to ensure that the family company that makes Marca Piña Soy Sauce will be passed on to more generations to come.
SOURCES:
Quiambao Tina Arceo The Unforgettable Piñanap Boy, Business Inquirer, 7 March 2007
Osorio, Ma. Elisa, Marca Piña soy sauce brand tries to expand market share, 11
