by Koh Hui Theng
my paper

NAMING a massage chair uYoyo is bound to raise eyebrows, and the reasons for this moniker vary, depending on who you ask at home-grown company Osim.

One version claims that the inspiration came from the chair's yoga-like functions, which stretch and massage.

Then there is the other, more amusing, explanation: When the product was being developed, Osim staff gave it the working name of uYoyo, because it allowed users to 'yo and yo' (Hokkien for shake and shake).

Somehow, that idea stuck and a new product was added to Osim's family of innovative items with quirky names.

'We're positioned as a lifestyle brand, so there's no need to take ourselves too seriously. We want to show that wellbeing can be fun and whimsical, hence these light-hearted names,' said Mr Alan Tan, Osim's head of branding and strategic marketing.

With products such as uZap, uSqueeze and iGallop, which literally got their names from what they aim to do, it is no wonder that Mr Tan said that the company 'can be quite literal and phonetic'.

Behind the fun, however, is a serious business of dollars and cents. Last year, Osim achieved a turnover of $523.7 million.

In June, it was named Asia's No. 1 Healthy Lifestyle brand by 2,200 respondents in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Plans are afoot to expand the company's global reach from the current 1,000-plus outlets in 31 countries to 3,000 worldwide by 2013.

Where does Osim get its inspiration for new products?

We are guided by the principle of promoting well-being and we have developed over 70 products in four categories: hygiene, health, fitness and nutrition.

A new product has to fit into one of these groups. The research and design team works with product development to filter and discuss ideas. Sales staff and customers also provide valuable feedback.

Are there any differences in Osim's marketing approach?

All our products are developed for use in the global market, but our advertisements differ according to the various countries' sensitivities.

For instance, we market the massage belt uZap in Singapore with actress Fiona Xie wearing a white tank top and shorts.

But that image was too sexy for the Middle East market, where women cannot show their arms. So we developed a brand-new campaign based on nice shots of only the product.

Why are there two versions of the massager - the iSqueeze and the uSqueeze?

The iSqueeze was the first-generation foot massager, but the 'i' became abused - everyone was calling their products i-something. We decided to be unique and go with 'u' instead to show that our products are universal and for you, our customers.

The uSqueeze massages the calves, ankles and feet, improving on the earliermodel by offering adjustable angles and customised massage programmes.

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