Sweet success: Turkish honey brand Polenkoy achieves 30% growth in India, Australia, eyes wider-Asia
According to CEO Mikail Cosar, the brand has achieved its goals in the Middle East, India and Australia; hence, it is targeting more Asian markets, like China, Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.
“The Asia and Asia Pacific region is important as its people practise healthy lifestyles compared to other parts of the world. This philosophy is important when it comes to marketing our products in the region. We are currently carrying out research and development (R&D) on how to enter more of such markets.
“We want people to start their days by having Polenkoy products and the products become a consistent component of breakfast tables. We are also conscious of showing a solid existence in the European, Middle Eastern and APAC markets,” he said, citing confidentiality of trading numbers.
Polenkoy is a subsidiary of the HVS Group, which manufactures and exports organic and natural food products globally. The brand contributes 30% to the total revenue of HVS. Besides honey, it produces an oil range called Sunkoy, olives, jams, tahini, halva and molasses.
Toothsome Turkey
Polenkoy features multiflower, acacia, chestnut, lavender, linden tree, pine and thyme honey. The three most popular honey SKUs demanded by Asia is the pine, multiflower and acacia.
In addition, each type of honey is believed to provide different benefits. For instance, pine honey could improve energy levels, while acacia contains flavonoid antioxidants.
Due to the diverse nature of the range, the firm could maintain its output across four seasons and maximise the different geographical surfaces of Turkey.
For instance, the Aegean region contains pine, chestnut and linden trees. Therefore, production lines in that area could produce honey from those plants. In contrast, the eastern Black Sea region is fertile land for growing acacia trees. Hence, the firm’s production line in that region could produce acacia honey. Turkey also has mountain ranges, slopes and lowlands, which allows lavender to thrive and produce lavender honey.
Its latest offering is the hazelnut honey, synonymous to the country’s identity as the world’s biggest hazelnut producer.
“The world contains cultures and tastes that differ by geography, resulting in different expectations and perceptions with regards to consumption behaviour.
“We might encounter high interest for a certain product in a specific region, while other segments might not consume the same. Hence, we focus on people’s consumption behaviours according to their cultures to confidently enter the market.
“Specifically during pandemic, we focused on producing apicultural products that could strengthen the immune system. Apicultural products, like honey, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly, are believed to be beneficial for human health,” said Cosar.
