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Aug 13 - 19, 2001

English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited was established as a joint venture company in 1965 with the name of PEEK FREANS PAKISTAN LIMITED. In 1966 the UK sponsor company was renamed as Associated Biscuits International Limited (ABIL), while the venture was renamed to English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited, which stands to date.

EBM started manufacturing and marketing of world famous Peek Freans range in 1967 in order to provide Pakistani consumers with good quality, nutritious and hygienically packed biscuits.

True to its corporate claim of 'The Legend Leads', EBM led the biscuit industry in Pakistan for over 30 years by its pioneership in providing innovative and high quality biscuit tastes for every taste bud.

The trade mark Pied Piper made its mark about 30 year ago, but it still remains in the hearts, minds and souls of the people through the variety and excellent quality of biscuits manufactured under its umbrella. EBM enjoys the distinction of being the first food company in Pakistan to promote biscuits as a "food between meals".

EBM has been in the business of manufacturing and marketing branded biscuits in Pakistan for over 30 years. The brand name 'Peek Freans' is a household name, and people blindly believe in the quality of the products made under this brand.

EBM is also the first Biscuit Company in Pakistan to have achieved ISO - 9001 Certification in correspondence with its Institutional Slogan 'The Legend Leads'. The achievement also endorses company's firm commitment to high standards of quality.

Under the brand range Peek Freans the company today carries the largest variety of biscuit products including Marie, Gluco, Click, Sooper, Smile and Tiffin, to name a few.

On advertising front also, EBM and its subsidiary CFL set new trends and particularly developed classic and innovative concepts around the icon of 'Pied Piper' which today is an integral part of all packaging.

EBM has always recognized, as a corporate philosophy, its moral and social obligation to associate itself with all such causes which promote national health and thus pioneered the concept of sports promotion in Pakistan which included first time live telecast of major International Sports events like Cricket, Boxing, Tennis, Hockey as well as regular sponsorships of sports tournaments for Scrabble, Golf, Bridge and Snooker. Company sponsored Bridge team known as 'Peek Freans' has been country's leading team and won national championships on numerous occasions while also represented Pakistan in International Tournaments. Apart from the above mentioned sports, the company has also participated in extensive social activities such as: Regular support for noble causes — the cause of special children. EBM sponsored Special Olympics held in 1999-2000 is one such example.

EBM Causeway — A road that connects the main city to the Industrial Area is another example of the Company's involvement in the social services. This route saves 10 - 15 minutes in driving time. Regular support to organizations like Fatmid, SIUT ( Sind Institute of Urology and Transplant) and IBP (Institute of Behavioural Psychology), formation of the Pied Piper Club, which organizes various extracurricular activities and entertainment events for children, are some more examples.

EBM is also one of those companies which contribute to the national economy by means of earning foreign exchange through marketing and export of its products to USA, Canada, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE and Qatar and plays its role in earning valuable foreign exchange, thus contributing to the growth of economy. The potential for exports has also increased with the opening in CIS countries.

A glance at EBM's brand portfolio indicates that it covers almost every segment of the market. Be it young or old, men or women, EBM strives to cater to every taste. A new state-of-the-art biscuit plant was installed at the Hattar Industrial Estate in 1995. This was an addition to the manufacturing setup in Karachi, which helped in meeting the swelling demand for EBM products. This was done by setting up a separate entity with the name of Coronet Foods (Private) Limited (CFL).

Market positioning

Biscuit market can be largely divided into two main categories, viz., branded and unbranded. Until 1999-2000, 50% of the market was dominated by branded biscuits, in which EBM had a sizeable share. The rest was taken up by various small companies.

Biscuits in Pakistan have now assumed the role of "FOOD BETWEEN MEALS" in nearly every household.

The estimated annual gross sales in the organized sector is estimated to be approximately Rs.3700 million with an annual growth of approximately 18%. The Gross Sales when converted in tonnage roughly work out to 50,000 tons for branded biscuits whereas total biscuit consumption is around 100,000 tons.

The key players in the organized segment of the market are EBM (English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited), Coronet Foods (Private) Ltd, Continental Biscuits (LU), Montgomery Biscuits, Silver lake and Mehtab Industry (Krunchi) constituting approximately 70% of the branded Market.

Recently, EBM as a group has enjoyed some extremely successful re-launches of brands like Butter Puff, Tiffin, Gluco and Whole Wheat Slices. These, along with Rio, Click, Marie and Marie are some of the brands which have shown tremendous response in recent times and are still skyrocketing on the growth chart. Consequently, EBM has recaptured its lost market share. With the existing trends and norms of our society, the most common medium of entertainment for the masses is television. Consequently, television is also the most effective way of communication. In 1998-1999, EBM was a distant second in terms of Electronics Media spending. However, realizing the significance of electronic media, the tables were turned in 1999-2000, when EBM did not only recapture the major share of voice on local channels but also made a definite impact on satellite viewers.

Well thought-out marketing and media plans have contributed vastly to this shift. With the cable and satellite viewership trend on its way at a fast pace in our country, it was crucial to have presence on this front in addition to the local channels.

Through creative thinking and innovative strategies, in August-2000, EBM became the first corporation of its kind in Pakistan to have media presence on satellite (Star Network).

The aggressive media campaign on satellite television resulted in a drastic increase in demand for EBM biscuits. Many others followed the footsteps of EBM's success, attesting yet again to the theory, "you can always learn from competition". In today's dynamic and fast changing market environment, the success of any business depends on how responsive it is to change, and how well aware its keepers are of competitors' activities. With the success of various product launches, EBM has proven that high quality products backed by smart marketing strategies, are the essential ingredients for success in a highly competitive environment.

EBM has, in the past and with the help of the Almighty, will continue to provide consumers with products of the highest quality and variety. If the current trend continues to soar, it will not be too long before EBM represents Pakistan on the global front with the premium quality and variety of biscuits which will be second to none.