Find out how the team behind Three Legs Cooling Water worked with IPI’s Innovation Advisors to strengthen their domestic strategy before advancing abroad.
With decades of heritage behind its cooling-water products, Wen Ken recognised that consumer expectations were changing. Functional remedies, wellness trends and data-driven marketing were reshaping how products are discovered, experienced and trusted.
While the company had access to consumer research and sales data, these insights were not fully leveraged to guide strategic decisions. At the same time, the company saw untapped potential within its over-the-counter product portfolio but was hesitant to move forward without clearer strategic direction due to regulatory complexity and past challenges.
To support sustainable growth, the company needed clearer direction across both branding and marketing strategy as well as product innovation, while building confidence to act on new opportunities.
IPI Singapore's Innovation Advisors, Isabella Tan and Ramachandran Rajamanickam, supported Wen Ken in strengthening its core cooling water business while identifying new growth opportunities within its OTC portfolio.
For the cooling water business, IA Isabella Tan helped the company translate consumer research into actionable insights, examining usage patterns, consumption barriers and emerging trends. Through a structured review of Wen Ken’s branding and marketing strategy, the team identified opportunities to strengthen market positioning and customer engagement. Isabella also guided the evaluation of marketing agency proposals, leading to the appointment of Distilleri and the launch of targeted campaigns in 2025 aimed at attracting new users and increasing usage frequency.
For the OTC business, IA Ramachandran Rajamanickam conducted a strategic review of the product portfolio, covering customer segments, pricing, channels, regulatory considerations and value proposition. Through a series of workshops, the team identified potential product innovation opportunities aligned with Wen Ken’s capabilities, including concepts in adult nutrition, joint health and gastric relief.
The engagement also helped Wen Ken adopt a more proactive approach towards regulatory planning by incorporating compliance considerations earlier in the innovation process.
As a result, Wen Ken strengthened its ability to leverage data-driven insights for decision-making, refined its brand and marketing strategy, and expanded its product innovation pipeline. These initiatives are expected to support increased market share, new revenue opportunities, and sustained business growth in the years ahead.
“We were able to gain insight, knowledge and wisdom that can help us avoid mistakes and focus on the right strategies.”
“SMEs must shift from tracking what people buy to understanding why they buy. There is much to be gained from translating customer insights into a clear brand purpose and more meaningful, human-centric engagement.”
“For SMEs, product innovation should start with clarity on where they can create meaningful value for customers. By aligning product opportunities with market demand and core strengths, companies can build a more focused pipeline for sustainable growth.”
“Our role is to help companies make better strategic decisions by connecting insights to action. For Wen Ken, deepening its understanding of consumers and reinforcing its foundation in core markets has created clearer pathways for product innovation and sustainable growth.”
For many locally established consumer brands, overseas expansion is often a coveted accomplishment that is eagerly rushed into. Wen Ken Drug Co Pte Ltd, a heritage healthcare company best known for its Three Legs Cooling Water, chose to take a more deliberate approach.
With decades of trust built across Singapore and Malaysia, the founders took a step back to ask a more fundamental question: was the company making the most of its existing markets?
As consumer expectations evolve, Wen Ken has shifted towards a more strategic growth approach, focusing on strengthening its core markets before expanding further. With structured guidance from IPI Singapore, the company refined its brand, marketing and product strategy, laying clearer foundations for sustainable, long-term growth.