A local food business owner explained the story behind the name of their brand which recently gained traction due to its “playful” social media advertisement promoting its chili garlic oil product.
The owner of the Tuta ng KuChina brand addressed its online bashers and said that they chose such a name in honor of their puppy and because of their love for Chinese food, including Chinese delicacies.
“Marami nagagalit sa food business po namin. Ano po masama sa Tuta ng KuChina? Kaya namin naisip ang pangalan dahil may mga tuta kaming alaga. Cute no? ‘Di tulad ng ibang tuta,” the page owner said on his post with an accompanying picture of their puppy.
“At mahilig kami sa Chinese Food. Bahag ang mga buntot namin pag dating sa Chinese delicacies. Nanghihina mga tuhod namin. Lalo na Siomai. Gusto mo rin siomai ‘di ba? Masarap ‘yun, lalo na kung may TUTA ng KuChina Chili Garlic Oil!!! China Oil (sana all), Chill lang,” the page owner added.
Posted on August 21, the ad included a graphic version of the picture of President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City released by Sen. Bong Go last week amid the chief executive’s rumored flight to Singapore.
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“Kulang na ba sa anghang ang ulam? Wag na badtrip pre! Ito na!” the brand’s social media ad reads with a graphic of the chief executive, who is known for his China-friendly foreign policy.
The brand clarified that the social media ad is not a meme as it asked the public to purchase its limited stocks of chili garlic oil, a condiment in household kitchens.
The post has been shared 12,000 times, earned 23,000 likes and reactions and gained 3,000 comments on the social networking site.
The page owner admitted that it has not been warmly received by some Filipinos. It posted screenshots of some of the feedback from some online users.
“Di magandang biro yang ginagawa [niyo], kung sino ka man ‘wag ka magtago sa likod ng keyboard,” a Facebook user who criticized the page wrote.
But the viral ad proved to be effective as a day after it was posted, the page owner shared an appreciation post to the buyers of the product and it announced that it was already “sold out.”
“Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng kumuha ng aming Chili Garlic Oil. Follow our page and we will keep you posted kapag available na po ulit. Uutang pa ulit kami para maka-Build Build ng sawsawan,” the post reads, with a reference to the current administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.
Apart from a kitchen condiment, the local business also sells tapioca drinks in different flavors.
Last month, another local condiments seller earned criticisms for its brand name that was perceived to promote sexism and domestic violence.
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One of the owners clarified that the name was based on their relationship dynamics as a couple and that they had no intention of promoting such beliefs.
Shift to online biz
The community quarantine measures in the country have prompted some Filipinos to start their own businesses as a means to cope with the economic and financial challenges brought by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Most of these businesses have taken the opportunity to advertise their products on social media for a wide reach, considering that Filipinos are the world’s top social media users last year.
Last April, a financial technology start-up urged micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to set up their businesses online to survive and thrive amid the global health crisis that has severely affected the economy.
“The use case and lesson learned from this present crisis is that online businesses were insulated from the pandemic. Unlike physical stores, online businesses did not close down when the quarantine was imposed,” PayMongo Philippines chief operating officer Edwin Lacierda said.
“In fact, they were able to further expand their businesses as there was no other option. As a result, one can continue to sell their products or services to generate revenues and provide continued employment, as needed,” he added.