EATING out in restaurants and watching TV dominate the lives of Malaysians, with 95% of them eating out weekly and watching TV while dining-in.
Of interest to food and beverage (F&B) outlet owners, customers stay much longer during peak sports season; up to 86% of customers in bar, bistro and pub give their full attention to live sports and stay twice as long – up to four hours, while in Indian Muslim and Indian restaurants, up to 77% of customers are glued to live sports and stay twice as long, up to two hours.
This insight is revealed by Kantar, “a global leader in data, insights, and consulting services” in its survey “Malaysian Consumer Behaviour on Out of Home Consumption & Opportunities”, which provides valuable perspectives on consumer behaviour and market trends.
Astro chief sales and marketing officer Tai Kam Leong said the insight from Kantar affirms that F&B outlets with Astro’s entertainment service can boost business revenue and profitability, as more customers stay longer while dining in.
“Sports contents are successful in capturing consumers’ attention the most. Key sporting events like Liga Malaysia, World Cup and Premier League help in increasing not only footfalls from new customers but also repeat visits and more time spent at the outlet.
“With these insights, Astro introduced the new BIZone pack for F&B outlets to further enhance and simplify its offering. With BIZone, all F&B outlets can offer 100% legal, high-quality and full range of live sports coverage to their patrons.”
The new pack, said Tai, offers significantly more value in terms of content for all F&B outlets, at an attractive entry price point, depending on different types of businesses and seating capacity. To further facilitate ease of doing business, BIZone’s contract period has been halved to 12 months, from 24 months in previous packages.
With BIZone, all F&B outlets, including the small and mid-sized ones, can leverage Astro’s full live sports coverage to take their business growth to the next level.
“The all-new, game-changing single pack for the F&B sector BIZone, aims to empower F&B businesses with a diverse range of entertainment options including a full suite of live sports coverage. The new pack boasts 15 sports channels, 25 non-sports channels, eight free-to-air channels and offers fair and transparent pricing depending on different types of business and seating capacity,” said Tai.
The same survey by Kantar also indicated that when the football league is in season, table with patrons in bars and pubs increased by 50% while for non-bars & F&B outlets, the impact is even greater at 58%.
Kantar Malaysia country head insights division general manager Paromeeta Mathur Banerjee said: “Kantar’s survey shows that entertainment, especially live sports, can be considered as one of the key offerings by any F&B outlets, as it is what customers want the most.
“F&B outlets that provide Astro entertainment have a high reach, especially in the Klang Valley with an estimated unique customer reach of over 4.2 million. Live sports further amplify the impact and reach of F&B outlets in attracting customers and drawing them in to stay longer during each visit.”
In conjunction with the introduction of BIZone, Astro on Jan 10 organised an industry talk “Beyond the Menu: Score with More Customers in 2024” for its F&B clients. The session brought together panelists sharing their insights on market trends and strategic approaches that drive success for F&B businesses.
The panel included Tai, Paromeetha, Astro Malaysia customer experience & digital director Cynthia Seow and industry experts such as Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president and Restoran Ali Maju Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Jawahar Ali, Persatuan Pengusaha Restoran India (Primas) president J. Govindasamy @ Suresh.
F&B outlets that sign up for BIZone will stand a chance to be selected to host a Watch Party event worth up to RM100,000. Hosted by Astro, the Watch Party will take place at the winner’s establishment beginning March 2024 onwards.
The party will feature various activities for walk-in customers, including an exclusive meet-and-greet session with local celebrities alongside international and local athletes, and complimentary meals and drinks.
The winning establishment will also receive an advertising package, leveraging Astro’s media platforms. Terms and conditions apply.
AstroBiz Watch Party was introduced in 2023 to raise awareness and promote local F&B establishments with Astro’s live sports. To date, Astro has successfully hosted more than 20 watch parties for AstroBiz customers nationwide.
Go to https://business.astro.com. my/contact-us for more information on BIZone and how to sign up.
