Splash continues to invest in R&D

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-owned beauty and wellness firm Splash Corp. is continuously investing in research and development to stay alive in the highly competitive personal care industry currently dominated by large multinational firms.

“We are the only Filipino company thriving in an industry dominated by multinationals,” said Rhodette Gamba, head of the Innovations and Corporate Marketing Group at Splash.

Gamba cited the establishment of the Splash Research Institute in 1997, which served as an R&D hub for its new lines of products.

Splash made headway in the international market through its best-selling skin whiteners and exfoliants.  Its products are sold in supermarkets and shops abroad, like in the Middle East, North America (US and Canada), Indonesia and other Asean  countries, even in Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa.

 Gamba said “a good amount of resources”, or around 10 percent of the company’s capital expenditures every year, are invested for the Splash Research Institute.

She said new products are continuously being developed for the company’s direct sales operations.

The Splash Research Institute, she said, has between 15 to 20 scientists - chemists, chemical engineers, biochemists, and pharmacists.

Among its market-leading products are SkinWhite for whitening, MaxiPeel for exfolient, and Kolours in the premium hair dye segment.

Through continuous product innovation, coupled with focused marketing, these products have successfully maintained or even increased their market share, despite the onslaught of their competitors whose marketing budget is many times that of Splash.

Apart from beauty products, Splash has also ventured into food manufacturing and marketing with the acquisition of the Barrio Fiesta brand but not including the chain of restaurants, in August 2011.

The company followed this up the next year when it bought Moondish Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of canned vegetables, canned fish, and ready-to- eat meals.