The wealth of goodness from tocotrienols found in oil palms (Photo Credit: Pixabay)
by Dr Rahim Said
A new, fast-rising demographic is redefining urban cool in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley — meet the YuChi. Short for Young Urban Chinese, this segment mirrors the lifestyles of global yuppies in cities like London, Melbourne, and New York, with a distinctly Malaysian twist.
Having studied, worked, or done business abroad, many YuChi have brought back more than just degrees and business connections. They’ve imported a taste for aspirational living — a culture of health, fitness, exclusivity, and indulgence.
You’ll spot them at the latest Lululemon and Under Armour pop-ups, sporting chic athleisure wear on Pickleball courts in KL and PJ.
Their downtime is spent at hip, minimalist coffee joints mushrooming across the Klang Valley, or at carefully curated dining spots and newly minted bars in Bangsar and Changkat.
On weekends, they’re the ones speeding up the PLUS Expressway in imported marques — from Porsches and Ferraris to the latest AMG and M models — either racing their kiasu counterparts from the island republic down south, or heading up the hills to Genting and Fraser’s.
A snapshot of the scene? Picture the newly-opened Pickle Social Club near Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. Fancy apparel, luxury SUVs no older than three years, and NOA (No One Alone) as the social basecamp. Peek in, and you’ll find twentysomethings in barely-there sports dresses causing old uncles to blink twice.
Now, here’s where your product comes in when some would-be entrepreneurs came a-calling for my counsel: energy bars!
This is the ideal target group for a premium, functional energy bar infused with natural goodness and the wellness powerhouse — tocotrienols found in oil palms. Price it around RM8, it may be far too indulgent for the working class in Segambut Dalam, living in the shadows of Mont’ Kiara’s high-rises. But for the YuChi crowd, it’s pocket change — provided you position it right.
Promotion Strategy:
Leverage lifestyle influencers who resonate with this tribe. Think of personalities who share workout routines, car meets, café reviews, or who document their wellness getaways. Visibility in exclusive upmarket grocers, fitness clubs, boutique gyms, and chic cafés will cement the product’s standing as a ‘must-have’ urban accessory.
Why it’ll work:
The YuChi segment is always seeking the next trendy, Instagrammable, health-centric product that complements their high-performance, image-conscious lifestyle. A sleekly branded, tocotrienol-powered energy bar is the perfect fit for their gym bags, glove compartments, and café tables.
The shorthand advice I gave the marketing team: Forget the masses. You’ll find your customers at The Pickle Courts by day, NOA by evening, and Changkat Bukit Bintang after midnight. That’s where YuChi lives.
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