With a focus on Facebook and Instagram, fresh digital media content and a dedicated customer response team, Boncafé is refining its way of doing business to stay ahead in Cambodia’s competitive coffee beverage sector.

Boncafé (Cambodia) Ltd is utilising the latest digital communications platforms to stay ahead of the curve as competitors jostle for a slice of the flourishing coffee beverages market.

The gourmet coffee producer and equipment distributor is capitalising on digital and social media to strengthen its brand legacy – which began in Cambodia back in 1996 – and stay relevant in a crowded beverage market, largely dominated by reputable brands, both local and intentional.

A sizeable young population, a growing corporate culture and rising household incomes are driving demand for freshness and quality, while foreign coffee brands have grown in appeal for many Cambodians, particularly affluent urbanites.

Boncafé Cambodia country manager Harry Wong told The Post that the company is “thinking outside the box” to attract greater traffic, especially during the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We are on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and LinkedIn, and our objective is to grow the number of followers on these platforms.

“We will be developing more content on our social media platforms in the form of short videos to educate our followers on coffee and beverage preparation.

“Up to 40 per cent of our business enquiries come through digital communication platforms. We have a team at our office dedicated to responding to customer enquiries within 10 minutes or less,” Wong said.

By working closely with popular delivery services such as Food Panda, Grab Mart, Nham24 and Smile Shop, the company’s offices in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville are able to continue operations, despite anti-Covid-19 measures being in place.

Founded in 1962 in Singapore, the Boncafé brand is now widely known across markets in Asia and the Middle East.

As part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, which includes Brodies Teas among many others, Boncafé is the official importer and marketer of the world famous Segafredo Zanetti coffee.

Boncafé also offers non-coffee products, such as tea produced under its Bontea brand, fruit preparations by Andros Chunky and Torani flavoured syrups.

Beans sourced from all over Asia are freshly roasted in Boncafé roasting plants and produced on demand, thus keeping freshness top priority for a quality cup of coffee.

Serving as a one-stop beverage solutions provider supplying roasted and ground coffee, tea, juices, ready-to-drink products, sauces and syrups, smoothies and frappe mixes, as well as cutting-edge coffee machines, Boncafe’s clientele includes hotels and resorts, airlines, restaurants and retail outlets.

Some two billion cups of coffee consumed across the globe daily, according to the British Coffee Association, and coffee beans have become one of the world’s most highly sought-after commodities.

Cambodia’s coffee culture has been gaining momentum in recent years with the Kingdom’s robust economic growth over the past decade fuelling a new consumerism.

Coffee drinking is increasingly becoming a lifestyle, with Cambodia importing 770 tonnes of coffee worth $3.6 million last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

And with its experience and expertise, Wong says the gourmet coffee giant is well placed to expand as the market grows.

“With Boncafé having been operating in the Kingdom since 1996, Cambodians prefer our blend of coffee beans. Having started in this market early, we have an edge.

“Equipment and services is another area of expansion we are looking into – there are many cafes and restaurant operators in Cambodia who need our help in terms of machine and equipment repairs.

“In the coming years, we expect our other business channels to grow, such as for hypermarkets, retail supermarkets and online stores, and to form close working relationships with international food and beverage brands entering the Kingdom,” Wong said.