The secret to Secret Recipe's success in Malaysia

Over the last 26 years, Secret Recipe has been a faithful constant in the lives of Malaysians looking for hearty meals and decadent desserts. In fact, the brand has galvanised a loyal fanbase and has vastly expanded, having opened its 370^th store recently. It also recently introduced a new design for its outlets to keep up with the trends and the younger generation.

At the time of the reveal of the new store, Secret Recipe’s managing director, Patrick Sim, said that the company will continue to renew its outlets every five years to make sure they provide its customers with the best experience. Aside from the new look, the chain restaurant also has plans to continue its expansion of up to 400 outlets in Malaysia by the end of 2025.

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Undoubtedly, the brand has managed to adapt to the ever-evolving digital landscape, keeping itself relevant through the many changes. In an exclusive interview with A+M, Secret Recipe’s head of marketing, Evelyn Lee shed light on just how the brand has done so.

First off, Lee shared how important it is to regularly innovate and develop unique creations which result in new menu items introduced regularly. Quality, place and promotion are paramount elements of Secret Recipe’s modus operandi, she said.

"As we course through our journey in the F&B industry, we have sharpened all the right stuff so that we can prioritise delivering the best service to each and every customer that comes through our doors," she said.

"In order to maintain brand love, it is also important for us to find new avenues to stay connected to our customers. This is done by collaborating with influencers or celebrities, planning interactive campaigns and having strategic partnerships with other well-loved brands," she said. 

While it is no question that Secret Recipe has rallied a loyal consumer base that trusts the brand for its consistency, no brand’s success story is without challenges.  

According to Lee, one of the biggest changes the brand had to make is adapting it to the digital sphere.

“Being an established brand in Malaysia with loyal customers who are usually more comfortable with traditional means, it is the shift into digital that we had to adjust to in the early stages,” she said, adding that it has however, been a smooth process since.

Part of this shift has also been the need to appeal to the new generation in order to maintain popularity on social media platforms, which manifested in the form of a new store design.

Lee shared that the accelerated shift towards digital channels was initially palpable during the pandemic, and with the Gen Z audience being the primary users of these channels, it was only sensible to partake.

“With the Gen Z audience being the most avid users of social media platforms, partnering with social media influencers whose content aligns with the brand has helped expand our reach among the Gen Z crowd, apart from going on platforms that are more Gen Z-friendly such as TikTok and Instagram. This means putting forth content and using tones of voice that are more relatable to them, moving away from the usual corporate-style posts. After all, it is where we can all have a bit more fun and engage with our audiences,” she shared, adding:

Currently, we allocate 20% of our resources to traditional marketing and 80% to digital marketing.

"Having said that, we believe that these two forms of marketing coexist to serve their respective purpose,” Lee explained, stating that while the brand prioritises traditional marketing, digital marketing has given Secret Recipe greater access to real-time results.

However, one would contest that the digital space is a saturated one and a brand like Secret Recipe must be going above and beyond to ensure that the loyal consumer base remains loyal.

According to Lee, Secret Recipe does so by ensuring that its recipes are consistent and of quality, making it a reliable brand.

Additionally, “Secret Recipe also invests in user-friendly online platforms for easy pick-up and delivery, whether it is through our official channels or a food partner’s platform. As we know, if customers find it challenging to place a simple order, their experience will be dampened, so this is something we place a lot of emphasis on,” she said.

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