combismile by SIG: Yili puts the first smile on China’s retail shelves  

April 2018. SIG’s innovative combismile has launched for the first time in China. Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co, China’s largest dairy producer, has chosen the innovative on-the-go packaging solution for its premium Shuhua milk brand.

Yili required a packaging solution for a new variety of the premium Shuhua functional milk and was looking for something that would differentiate and stand out to consumers, while also meeting their busy lifestyle needs. Shuhua milk is China’s biggest selling functional milk, accounting for 30% of the functional milk market (Nielsen, YTD May 2017, based on functional milk category). The premium functional Shuhua milk is lactose-free, yet high in protein and has three SKUs: full fat, low fat and high calcium. It is specifically developed for the Asian physique and has a patented LHT lactose hydrolysis technology.

The new variety of the Shuhua premium milk is currently available in combismileSmall 220 ml with a drinking straw. Yili recently held an official media launch event for its new Shuhua functional milk and has subsequently debuted five TV advertisements, featuring e.g. basketball star Guo-Ailun, and a digital marketing communication campaign throughout China.

With its solution-driven approach, SIG was able to work closely with Yili to ensure combismile was the perfect fit for its famous premium milk brand. With its curved, modern shape and easy-grip corners, combismile offers increased drinking comfort and convenience to Shuhua’s highly driven, mobile and health-conscious consumer.

Meeting Yili’s ever changing consumer demands

As part of its Value Proposition, SIG aims to drive Product Innovation and Differentiation by forging strong and mutually beneficial partnerships with beverage manufacturers to meet the changing needs of an increasingly mobile society. Its cooperation with Yili is the perfect example of how crucial it is that product and package complement each other to clearly reflect both product quality and brand values, while offering its active consumers the ultimate on-the-go convenience.

Unique shape

The unique combismile shape and appealing smile is formed directly within the filling machine. Each combismile filling machine has an output of 24,000 packs an hour, high-speed performance, volume flexibility and drinksplus capability added by newly developed spout and straw applicators. Together, this represents SIG’s most complete line solution to date.

Wei Wang, Vice President at Yili, commented: “It was vital we found the perfect packaging which complemented the premium quality, modern image and innovative ingredients of our new functional milk and that closely matched Shuhua’s brand ethos. Following our close cooperation with the team at SIG, we quickly found the ideal innovative solution. combismile not only ensures stand out on-shelf due to its unique shape and elegance, but it clearly shows the high product quality and offers our mobile consumers unmatched on-the-go convenience.”

Fan Lidong, Chief Operation Officer at SIG China, commented: “combismile is one of our biggest innovations to date and Yili’s Shuhua brand is the perfect partner to officially launch our unique on-the-go packaging solution. Yili can now present its next generation of functional milk in an innovative package that meets the growing demands of its mobile consumers, who live busy yet healthy lifestyles, while also expressing the high quality and character of the Shuhua product and brand.”

Disclaimer: combismile is currently not available in Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan.

SIG is one of the world's leading solution providers for the food and beverage industry within the field of carton packs and filling technology. In 2017, the company achieved a turnover of 1.66 billion Euro with more than 5,000 employees.