In this episode of Brand Origins, we dig into the true history of Nescafé and the instant coffee wars. We uncover the early inventors who came before Nestlé, how instant coffee existed decades earlier, and how Nescafé still became the global leader and the Philippines’ #1 brand.

We break down how World War I and World War II turned instant coffee into a battlefield essential, how the Great Depression almost killed the idea entirely, and how Max Morganthaler saved a cancelled project that Nestlé had already abandoned. We also explore Café Puro, Blend 45, Nescafé Gold, Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Starbucks At Home, and why Nestlé invested in Blue Bottle Coffee.

If you want to understand how instant coffee became part of Filipino culture, and how Nescafé won a global war it didn’t even start, this is the full story.

Episode Sponsor: The Sauce

For bite-sized, easy-to-digest business news in the Philippines, check out The Sauce on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thesauce.ph/

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Timestamps

0:00 – Intro
0:50 – Ad: The Sauce
3:52 – Satori Kato
4:35 – George Washington Coffee
5:37 – World War I
6:18 – “Cup of Joe” Origins
8:25 – Nestlé Enters the Picture
9:05 – The Great Depression
11:23 – Brazil Taps Nestlé
11:36 – Max Morgenthaler
15:09 – Why They Called It “Nescafé”
16:33 – World War II
18:44 – Nescafé in the Philippines
19:25 – Nescafé’s Competitors
23:35 – Nescafé’s Foreign-Looking Ads
26:01 – Nescafé Gold
27:05 – Nespresso
28:31 – Dolce Gusto
28:48 – Starbucks At Home
30:27 – Blue Bottle Coffee
32:07 – The Nescafé Empire

About Brand Origins

Brand Origins tells the stories behind the biggest brands and the ideas that built them. Each episode dives deep into the business moves, cultural moments, and turning points that shaped the companies we see today.

Skyflakes is one of the biggest cracker brands in the Philippines. You will find it in lunch boxes, sari-sari stores, office drawers, long bus rides, merienda tables, and OFW care packages sent across the world.But how did a simple cracker become such a big part of everyday life in the Philippines?

In this episode of Brand Origins, we uncover the complete brand history of SkyFlakes and the rise of M.Y. San, the company behind some of the most iconic biscuits in the country.

From its early origins before World War II, to its reinvention in the Philippines, to the launch of SkyFlakes and FITA in the 1960s, this episode breaks down how a humble cracker became a cultural staple.

We explore M.Y. San’s beginnings, the debt crisis it survived, and how SkyFlakes managed to outlast competitors like Rebisco and Magic Flakes.We also dive into the surprising story of graham crackers and why M.Y. San became the go-to brand for mango float in Filipino homes.

If you want to understand how a biscuit became part of our national identity, this is the full story.

For bite-sized, easy-to-digest business news in the Philippines, check out The Sauce on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thesauce.ph/

Want your brand to be featured in future episodes?
Visit chrisgarin.com for sponsorships, partnerships, and collaborations.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris.garin/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chris_garin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077660561299

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@chris.garin

0:00 – Intro

0:50 – Ad: The Sauce

2:33 – The Founder, M.Y. San

2:57 – Escolta Ice Cream Parlor

3:24 – Escolta and Binondo History

7:20 – M.Y. San’s Debt Crisis

10:19 – M.Y. San in the Philippines

11:18 – FITA History

12:05 – Graham Crackers History

13:16 – SkyFlakes History

14:29 – SkyFlakes Marketing Strategy

16:27 – SkyFlakes Ads

20:00 – Outro

Brand Origins tells the stories behind the biggest brands and the ideas that built them.Each episode dives deep into the business moves, cultural moments, and turning points that shaped the companies we see today.

In this episode, Chris is joined by Monique Avila, Head of Customer Success at Payoneer, the fintech platform helping small and medium-sized businesses thrive on the global stage.

Together, they discuss how Filipino entrepreneurs and freelancers are breaking barriers, building international businesses right from home. Discover how Payoneer is reshaping the way Filipinos get paid, connect with clients worldwide, and transform local talent into a powerful global force.

📍 TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – How Filipinos are building careers and income streams from home

5:00 – Payoneer’s Monique Avila joins the conversation

8:15 – What Payoneer Philippines looked like then vs. now

10:25 – The Origins of Payoneer

13:50 – How Payoneer earned the trust of freelancers and businesses

16:30 – Why Payoneer set its sights on emerging markets

18:13 – How Payoneer gained its first users in the Philippines

22:00 – Stories of how Payoneer changed lives for Filipino freelancers

26:22 – What the next 10 years looks like for Payoneer

29:00 – Payoneer’s Promo: Why you should sign up now

🎁 PAYONEER PROMO: Register to Payoneer and get a $40 cashback reward once you reach $4,000 in outgoing eligible transactions within the first 90 days. Promo runs until November 15, 2025. See the full terms and conditions in the link. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/pdec46us

Watsons has become a household name in the Philippines. You will find it in nearly every SM mall, beside every grocery, and in almost every major city.

But how did this happen? And why did SM choose to partner with Watsons instead of Mercury Drug, the most established pharmacy chain in the country at the time?

In this episode of Brand Origins, we uncover the full history of Watsons in the Philippines and how it became one of SM's most powerful retail partners.

From its beginnings as A.S. Watson & Co. in 19th century Hong Kong, to its rapid expansion across Asia, to the critical partnership with SM Investments, this episode breaks down how the brand grew from a small apothecary into one of the largest health and beauty retailers in the world.

We explore how Watsons built its reputation for trust, accessibility, and convenience, and how SM's business strategy helped the brand dominate the Philippine market.

00:00 – Intro

00:58 – Henry Sy's Vow to Crush Mercury Drug

02:40 – How Britain Took Hong Kong

06:49 – The Hong Kong Dispensary

07:55 – A.S. Watson's Rapid Growth

10:17 – Watsons Water

11:07 – Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock

11:23 – How Li Ka-Shing Acquired the Company

12:02 – Brands A.S. Watson Owns

14:20 – Watsons in the Philippines

15:08 – Watsons' Secret Cash Cow (Optimo)

18:39 – Watsons Pink

19:43 – Outro

Want your brand to be featured in future episodes?

Visit chrisgarin.com for sponsorship opportunities, partnerships, or collaboration inquiries.

In this episode, Chris talks about BBK Electronics — the Chinese smartphone company behind Vivo, Oppo, Realme, OnePlus, and iQOO. Learn about why they decided to launch multiple brands instead of just launching one big brand, their growth strategies, and how they defended their market share against the threat of Xiaomi. 

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TIMESTAMPS:

(3:00) - Humble beginnings of Duan YongPing and BBK Electronics

(8:49) - The Real reason why Vivo and Oppo invest heavily on advertising

(12:37) - The Battle for India: Xiaomi vs. BBK

(15:26) - Why BBK launched Realme

(17:18) - Why BBK launched multiple brands instead of just one big brand

(21:50) - BBK Electronics clever distribution strategy

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In this episode, Chris breaks down the auto industry in the Philippines, the auto manufacturing industry in China, the history of each Chinese car brand that has entered the country, and whether China-made cars are finally worth considering. 

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TIMESTAMPS:

(4:26) - Which car brand is winning in the Philippines?

(7:29) - The auto manufacturing industry of China

(13:38) - "The Big Four", the largest automakers in China

(15:54) - Brief history of each Chinese car brand (Geely, MG, Changan, etc.)

(22:54) - Can we trust Chinese brands?

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This is the first episode of a new series: Celebrity Empires. Learn about the different brands that celebrities in the Philippines own, how they manage their money, and the creative ways that they're leveraging their fame into successful entrepreneurial ventures. 

In this episode, learn about the celebrity empire of Heart Evangelista.

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TIMESTAMPS:

3:00 - Heart's Origin Story

4:42 - Toy Collection with Bigboy Cheng

9:20 - Heart's NFTs

11:57 - Painting on Luxury Bags

15:35 - Her beauty & wellness company: Pure Living (Luxelle, Ultima, Vita Sense)

18:29 - Maison Love Marie

20:10 - Bario Fiesta

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Shopee and Lazada implemented different strategies in terms of logistics, funding, marketing, inventory, expansion, and even management style. Go in-depth into the reasons why they different routes, and how it affected their present-day situation. 

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Learn about Rocket Internet, the startup incubator that founded Lazada. Learn about the logistical and cultural problems that Lazada had to find solutions to in order to get people to embrace eCommerce. And most importantly, learn about the Alibaba acquisition and how Lazada became as big as it is today. 

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In this episode, Chris talks about the origins of Lazada. Learn about Rocket Internet - the startup incubator known as the "Startup Clone Factory". Chris covers their strategy of finding successful tech companies in the US, copying its business model, and launching the same concept in emerging markets. And lastly, learn about why Alibaba acquired Lazada, and its impact on Lazada today.

TIMESTAMPS:

(2:44) - Rocket Internet's "copycat" business model

(7:52) - Why they thought of building something like Lazada

(8:55) - How Lazada solved Southeast Asia's "payment-method" problem

(11:04) - How Lazada solved Southeast Asia's logistics problem

(12:19) - Lazada's investors

(13:00) - The Alibaba acquisition

(17:15) - Lazada's business model (1P vs. 3P)

(19:40) - Lazada's advertising strategy

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Want to sponsor an episode? Check out the details on my website.