ASEAN Life Vol 2 April 2016 | Page 31

The Secret of Jollibee's Success In & Out Of ASEAN In 1975, a Magnolia ice cream parlor was opened by a FilipinoChinese family in Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines. Business was good but after 3 years of operation, they closed up shop and decided to sell hotdogs, primarily. Celebrating 38 years since its foundation in January 1978, the Jollibee Foods Corporation is still expanding in and out of ASEAN with over 900 Jollibee outlets in the Philippines and over 600 Jollibee and other brand outlets overseas. The business mogul behind it must be onto something the rest of us didn't see 4 decades ago. The story of the Philippines' national brand is a sum total of the Filipino people's entrepreneurial vigor, drive and passion. Acclaim goes to Jollibee Foods Corporation's Photo by WhisperToMe via wikimedia.org CC0 1.0 founder Tony Tan Caktiong for driving the company to its existing global presence, of course with the help of his family and his trusted people. So, what is the secret behind the international success of Jollibee Group? Clear Vision Tony Tan Caktiong's vision is crystal clear from the very beginning; he wanted to create his own brand and be #1 in the Philippines; then become a global brand having an even split in international and domestic sales by 2020; and ultimately be among the top 3 biggest and highly profitable food businesses worldwide. Unyielding Customer Focus One way to achieve the company's vision is through its focus on customers. With a fast-changing and dynamic market, they had to do a lot of research. They have to know what customers want to stay relevant in the restaurant business. Knowing the country and specific communities in which they operate continue to give them insight into the flow of customers, their distinct tastes and their culture. Now that the operations is expansive, they conduct product surveys regularly to determine what customers want. development because consistency is tricky to attain with ingredients having different characteristics depending on where and when it was sourced. The company also formed a management corps with the appropriate know-how in catering to different cultures, customs and preferences. Excellent Quality Ensuring and maintaining consistently good quality food is another key to Jollibee's success worldwide. The company recognizes that the key is in food cont... Asean Life APR 2016 31