— The Comeback Story of Vietnamese Fami Soy MilkHow Imported Food Network Helped Fami Reshape Chinese Consumer Perception of Imported Soy Milk
Background: A Phone Call From Vietnam
The phone rang. On the line was a Vietnamese client speaking clear Mandarin with a slight foreign accent: “Hello, is this Dacang Company? This is Ms. Nguyen from Quang Ngai Sugar JSC (QNS) in Vietnam, in charge of overseas marketing for Fami soy milk. Can your team help us explore the Chinese market?”
Ms. Nguyen introduced that QNS is a listed manufacturing enterprise in Vietnam. Recommended by Vietnam’s official governmental institution equivalent to China’s Ministry of Commerce, she took the initiative to contact us. After thoroughly browsing Imported Food Network and learning about our successful track record of introducing numerous overseas brands into China, she reached out for strategic cooperation.
This phone call represented cross-border trust from an overseas listed company — official-endorsed recognition and proactive cooperation intention.
Quang Ngai Sugar JSC (QNS) is a publicly traded Vietnamese manufacturer. Its Vinasoy factory — home to the Fami and Vinasoy brands — ranks among the world’s top five soy milk production bases. Since 1997, the enterprise has focused on the R&D and sales of natural soybean products, holding over 80% of Vietnam’s soy milk market share (according to the 2018 AC Nielsen Brand Index Report). Fami boasts a rich product portfolio, including original, black sesame, calcium-enriched, and mint-flavored soy milk series.
Challenge: Breaking the First-Mover Advantage of Thai Soy Milk Brands
While Fami is a well-established national brand in Vietnam, it faced tremendous barriers when entering the Chinese market. Thai soy milk brands had long dominated the Chinese market and formed solid consumer cognition through first-mover advantages. For decades, Thai products have been the default choice for imported soy milk among Chinese consumers and distributors.
At the channel level, distributors preferred market-proven Thai brands and remained cautious about new Vietnamese entrants. Fami started completely from scratch in China — with zero brand awareness, no distributor network and no local channel foundation.
On August 15, 2020, QNS officially authorized Dacang Company to exclusively promote and develop Fami’s market business across South China.
Breakthrough: Reshaping Market Cognition Through Platform Influence
We made a clear strategic judgment: competing directly with Thai brands on channel resources and advertising budgets was unrealistic. The only viable path was to leverage Imported Food Network’s industry influence to accurately connect with innovation-oriented distributors, rely on superior product strength, and reshape China’s imported soy milk market perception — proving that Thailand is not the only source of high-quality imported soy milk, and that Vietnam also delivers world-class products.
First, we conducted a comprehensive marketing diagnosis for Fami’s product line and delivered a full-set marketing solution covering market analysis, brand positioning, brand operation, visual image planning, and integrated online-offline docking campaigns.
Second, we mobilized Imported Food Network’s accumulated industry resources and advanced three core strategies simultaneously:
Targeted Online B2B Matchmaking: Leveraging our database of professional food purchasers, we invited high-quality distributors from Guangdong, Fujian, Hainan, Hunan and other provinces to participate in exclusive online docking sessions.
Precise Distributor Matching: Based on purchaser demand data, we screened and matched Fami with experienced imported food distributors featuring strong channel coverage and high compatibility with beverage and soy milk categories.
Offline Promotion & Publicity: We launched offline brand promotion activities in first-tier cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou to continuously enhance brand exposure and gain recognition from nationwide channel distributors.
Outcomes: From Zero to One, Diversifying the Imported Soy Milk Market
Within just three months, Fami successfully landed in the South China market, effectively breaking the long-term dominance of Thai soy milk brands.
Two formal cooperation cases marked the phased breakthrough:
January 2021: Signed cooperation with Fuzhou Herunjia Import and Export Co., Ltd. for one 40ft full container of Fami soy milk.
March 2021: Signed cooperation with Shenzhen Yuanfeng Trading Co., Ltd. for one 40ft full container of Fami soy milk.
Fami’s successful market entry educated Chinese consumers and distributors: Thai brands are merely early entrants, not the only option for premium imported soy milk. As the world’s fifth-largest soy milk producer, Vietnam possesses world-class production quality and product competitiveness.
From unknown newcomer to successful market landing, Fami achieved a remarkable brand breakthrough. More importantly, it opened up new possibilities for the entire imported soy milk track, diversifying market choices and breaking singular industry cognition.
Client Testimonial
“As a listed Vietnamese enterprise, we were recommended to Dacang by official institutions. Imported Food Network helped us crack the Chinese market and deliver tangible results within three months. We will continue entrusting our Chinese market expansion to their professional team.”
— Ms. Nguyen, Overseas Marketing Director, Quang Ngai Sugar JSC (QNS)
Case Insights
The core value of Imported Food Network lies in matching the right products with the right partners.
Fami’s success proves that market cognition is never static. When new brands and new categories accurately target precise channels and consumer groups, inherent market perceptions can be reshaped and upgraded.
To date, Imported Food Network has partnered with enterprises from over 100 countries and regions worldwide, building a resource pool of more than 10,000 food distributors. With years of experience supporting global food exhibitions and completing tens of thousands of cross-border matchmaking sessions, we empower high-quality overseas brands like Fami to secure stable market positions in China.
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