Top 10 food brands in Southeast Asia

Filipino fried chicken favourite Jollibee has claimed the top spot in SEA’s top 10 food brands. The leading fast-food chain in the Philippines and the second fastest-growing restaurant brand in the world has pipped global giants such as KFC, McDonald's, and Burger King to the top spot.

Jollibee achieved an overall score of 67.35%, comfortably ahead of its closest competitor, South Korean fast food chain Lotteria (64%), which ranked second overall among SEA's top food brands.

Jollibee is the top fast-food restaurant in the Philippines, and has become a source of national pride for the country. Besides the Philippines, Jollibee ranks third among the top food brands in Vietnam but only features in some other markets' top 10. In the Philippines, Jollibee achieved the highest purchase frequency score and was the brand Filipinos would most recommend to others. Its high scoring across most categories in the Philippines ultimately secured it the top overall across SEA in the food sector. 

 

The ranking is based on Campaign’s authoritative list of Southeast Asia’s top 50 brands, created in partnership with research firm Milieu Insight. We have published reports on the top 10 brands from the surveyed markets (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore) across 10 sectors. The brands were evaluated using attributes such as awareness, purchase, quality, buying experience, customer service, trustworthiness, innovation, brand touchpoints (ease of use across all digital and offline interactions), and advocacy (degree of recommendation). 

Over the next few weeks, Campaign Asia-Pacific will provide a comprehensive analysis of the top brands by sector in Southeast Asia. This is the second in a 10-part series covering sectors such as electronics, travel, apparel & accessories, financial services, beauty, telcos & streaming, ecommerce, transport & delivery, automotive, and food delivery.

The chart below shows the scores of the top 50 food brands in Southeast Asia. Following the chart, you’ll find the top 10 food brands in individual markets, along with a brief analysis of the top 10 performers across the region. 

Overall, local fast-food chains scored the highest in SEA. It suggests consumers are more willing to support homegrown brands. Jollibee has become a source of national pride in the Philippines as it continues to expand and find success internationally. Meanwhile, Korea's Lotteria, Thailand's The Pizza Company, and China's HaidiLao all made the top five food brands in SEA amid growing support from their native country fans and diaspora living in other South East Asia markets. In Singapore, where the Chinese constitute the largest ethnic group, the Chinese hotpot chain HaiDiLao claimed first place. Meanwhile, besides homegrown favourites, multinational food chains like KFC and McDonald's also scored highly across SEA. KFC nabbed the top position in both Thailand and Indonesia, while McDonald's took the crown in Malaysia. 

 

In charts: Food brands breakdown by market

 

Let's have a closer look at the top 10 SEA performers

 

1. Jollibee

 

Founded in the Philippines in 1978, Jollibee has not only become the most popular fast-food chain in its home market but now operates a network of more than 1,500 stores in 17 countries. Besides the Philippines, Jollibee ranked third in Vietnam, achieving high purchase frequency and buying experience scores. Its Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, and Yumburgers are among its most popular menu items and are eating into the market share of competitors such as KFC and McDonald's as the Filipino favourite goes global.

 

2. Lotteria

 

The South Korean fast-food chain, known for its burgers, fried chicken, crispy fries, and ice cream treats, has franchises in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. It ranked second overall in SEA's best food brands, primarily due to its popularity in Vietnam, where it competes closely with KFC in terms of market share. Lotteria entered Vietnam back in 1998 and quickly gained a strong foothold. It received high scores across purchase frequency, customer service and buying experience in Vietnam but didn't rank in the top 10 of any other market. 

 

3. McDonald's

 

Despite intense competition from an increasing number of local homegrown brands, McDonald's still holds its own. The fast food giant was featured in the top 10 of every market in SEA, ranking first for food brands in Malaysia and earning a top five position in the rest. The ubiquity of its famous Golden Arches, the symbol of McDonald's, means that it benefits from high brand awareness in every market. Purchase frequency was also scored highly across SEA, but lower scores on quality and customer service prevented it from claiming the top spot overall. 

 

4. KFC

 

You could say that KFC is still the undisputed king of fried chicken, ranking in the top spot for food brands in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Much like fellow multinational food chain McDonald's, KFC made the top five in every market in SEA except for Singapore. High brand awareness, purchase frequency and buying experience scores ensured that it staved off the competition in most cases to achieve third ranking in SEA's top 10 food brands. 

 

5. The Pizza Company

 

Thailand's biggest franchise restaurant company, The Pizza Company, has over 270 restaurants and a growing presence in China, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia. Its fifth position in SEA's top 10 food brands is largely due to its presence and popularity in Thailand, where it scored highly for brand awareness and purchase frequency. 

 

6. Haidilao

 

China's largest hot pot chain has earned its sixth-place ranking, owing largely to its popularity in Singapore and Malaysia, where it is frequented by large Chinese communities. It was the favourite food brand in Singapore, achieving one of the best customer service scores overall. In Malaysia, where it ranked second only to McDonald's, it was also a top scorer for customer service and buying experience.

 

7. Mang Inasal

 

This Filipino barbecue fast-food restaurant chain is a local favourite, finishing in third position in the top 10 food brands in the Philippines. It specialises in serving Filipino favourite meals such as chicken nasal. It was acquired by Jollibee in 2010 and has found success due to its marketing strategy, quick service, affordable price, and craving menu. It achieved the highest brand awareness and purchase frequency scores among Filipino consumers. 

 

8. J.CO Donuts & Coffee

 

J.CO Donuts & Coffee was founded in Indonesia in 2006 and has since expanded to Singapore, the Philippines and Hong Kong, specialising in doughnuts, coffee and frozen yoghurt. The premium donut maker ranked in third position for food brands in Indonesia, and was only pipped to the top spot by food heavyweights KFC and McDonald's. It's clearly a much-loved Indonesian favourite as it achieved one of the highest purchase frequency scores in the market. 

 

9. MK Restaurant

 

Founded in 1962 as a small Thai eatery, the MK restaurant chain serves Thai suki cuisine and today has branches in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. But it's in Thailand where it achieved a top five ranking for the country's favourite food brands. It received the top trustworthiness score among Thai consumers, and ranked highly for buying experience and purchase frequency with Thai consumers as well. 

 

10. Chowking

 

Owned by Filipino fast-food giant Jollibee, Chowking is the leading Chinese fast food restaurant in the Philippines, offering a fusion of Chinese and Filipino flavours. Founded in 1985, its found success serving Chinese fast food like noodle soups, dim sum, and rice bowls. It ranked fifth in the Philippines top 10 food brands, benefiting from high awareness and purchase frequency scores and landed in tenth position overall in SEA's top 10 brands in the food sector.