INTRODUCTION TO LECKA
To fuel an active lifestyle that doesn’t sacrifice health or sustainability, Markus Gnirck created a food brand called Lecka in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2020, which employs all-natural ingredients to createhealthy food products that are packaged in bio-based & sustainable packaging. Markus is a German entrepreneur who majored in Engineering, pursuing his true calling of creating groundbreaking products and leading high-performing teams with a shared sense of purpose for a decade. He also co-founded a financial technology investment firm, Tryb Group in Singapore, along with various VC firms before founding Lecka.
CREATING LECKA
Living in Singapore and making investments there strengthened Markus’ belief that Southeast Asia is a promising market with bright prospects in the years and decades ahead. Thus, he decided to relocate to Vietnam in the latter half of 2019 and started exploring.
“I travelled throughout the hills and mountains of Vietnam for months, running on incredible routes and soaking up as much of the local culture as possible. This led me to conclude that the nutrition and healthy food industry is ripe for investment in 2020. Thus, Lecka began as a concept.” Markus adds.
OPPORTUNITIES THAT ATTRACTED MARCUS
Several regional and global patterns were the key reasons for Markus building upon his idea, including:
The expansion of the middle class in Southeast Asiaand its members prepared to increase their spending on consumer goods. According to Markus, “A new demographic of consumers, millennials living in Southeast Asian cities, has emerged due to the region’s rapid economic growth over the previous decade. They are well-educated, well-off, and inquisitive, exhibiting new buying behaviours that are relatively similar throughout the area. The rising middle-class shares lifestyle preferences throughout emerging economies such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.”
Secondly, Lecka has set its sights on being the category’s go-to brand of healthy, sustainably sourced snacks. “We capitalize on people’s preoccupation with fitness, good eating, busy schedules, and environmental awareness. In fact, we have made it abundantly apparent that we support healthy and environmentally friendly lives from the very beginning of our company, Lecka.” Adds Markus.
Moreover, Vietnam is a rich source of nutritious, all-natural foods where one can discover fantastic agricultural goods that can be transformed into a wide variety of healthy foods. Lecka promises to use only Asian ingredients for creating delicious Asian snacks.”Who doesn’t like tasty, nutritious food? Our products are formulated to provide essential health benefits—like natural energy, minimal sugar, and high protein—without sacrificing taste,” adds Markus.
Lastly, Lecka has spent a lot of resources on eco-friendly packaging. Markus says,”We are the only company in Asia to exclusively employ biodegradable, home compostable, or recyclable packaging, and we never use single-use plastics.”
CORE VALUES AT LECKA
“We have always emphasized providing excellent service to our consumers. We’ve put quite a lot of time and effort into developing distinctive recipes and attractive packaging. We want our customers to enjoy the deliciousness of the all-natural ingredients and the satisfaction of knowing that our goods come in environmentally friendly packaging.” Markus adds this while talking about the company values.
According to Markus, team Lecka takes great pride in their work, and the intersection of sports and sustainability is an exciting field for them to explore.
“With any luck, all this zeal has resulted in a wonderful community that may spread the word to other areas. Furthermore we put money into the right individuals. We put a lot of thought into who joins #teamlecka, whether it’s potential employees or brand advocates. Because of its significance to the brand and its contribution to a unified message, we consider it essential.” Adds Markus.
COMPANY CULTURE
Having staff from various nations who speak different languages makes fostering a strong #teamlecka culture even more important.
“We oversee the plant staff in Vietnam and the area sales and marketing staff. Ensuring everyone feels like they are ‘on the same bus’ is crucial and continuously pushes me as a leader. While we are a multinational corporation with worldwide aspirations, we are committed to showcasing our Vietnamese roots.” Adds Markus.
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF LECKA’S UNIQUENESS?
“When it comes to making decisions, we always prioritize our values. We distinguish ourselves in the competitive snack food industry by continuously conveying these principles in everything we do, from product development to advertising to customer service.” Says Markus about things that make Lecka unique.
The company’s history and the people involved in the building of Lecka—both the staff and the clientele are unique to the company. Further, Lecka is committed to maintaining its position at the forefront of the industry as the go-to source for innovative, healthful, and environmentally responsible snack options.
STRATEGIES THAT MADE LECKA A BIG SUCCESS
Lecka releasedthe Lecka Energy Bar at the beginning of 2022in response to the rapidly expanding outdoor sports market, home to many enthusiastic but underserved customers. The company was launched in this specific market because of a clear need and potential to attract a dedicated following of customers.
“True to its Asian roots, the Energy Bar is crafted with locally sourced ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices. Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia all stock the Energy Bars. We can’t wait to share it with the many outdoor athletes around Asia.” Markus adds enthusiastically while talking about Lecka.
Markus also adds about a rising interest in low-sugar, high-nutrient snacks for social gatherings.Lecka acknowledges this development and is developing new lines of products to provide consumers with a low-sugar choice.
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
“We’ve already accomplishedgreat business by providing our clients with tasty, nutritious, and environmentally responsible snack options. The integration of these three features into a single offering has proved challenging. We held firm to our principles and refused to give an inch. Our company’s value system is vulnerable to many push and pulls influences. Our clients and we will test our will to uphold these principles.” Says Markus.
Additionally, Lecka is pleased to have become one of the few Vietnamese food firms to find success outside of the country. A few months after the first launch in Vietnam, the company acquired distribution agreements in the neighbouring markets of Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
CHALLENGES
Like any other success tale, Markus’ Lecka isn’t without its share of obstacles.
Talking about challenges, Markus says, “The most difficult part was developing eco-friendly packaging. Period. It was a huge ordeal from start to finish, from acquiring materials to conducting quality assurance tests to rolling out the finished product. We spent 1.5 years developing the optimal formula for our energy bars.”
Lecka enlisted global professionals to assist with eco-friendly packaging.It took a lot of time and effort to redesign packing machinery to improve the product’s shelf life.
INFLUENCE OF COVID
“In 2020, we laid the groundwork for the company, and in 2022, we introduced the first of our items to the public. We operated as a genuine company and had little to no impact from COVID, except for the first period of lockdowns. As COVID is the only difficult business climate we’ve ever seen, the current economic upturn has us quite optimistic.” Said Markus on the impact of Covid 19 on Lecka’s business.
ROLE OF INNOVATION
Innovation is a crucial strength for every business’s growth and profitability. As per Markus, for a fledgling firm like Lecka, the only way to stand out is to be better and more inventive than the competition. The company is always striving to be at the forefront of creative writing, product designand packaging.
“We’re paying close attention to the essentials and working to ensure we’re constantly communicating the same message. On the other hand, we must always be on the cutting edge of consumer trends to stay up with them. In light of this, we are introducing new product lines to appeal to a broader range of consumers.” Adds Markus.
LEADERSHIP BY MARKUS
Lecka was founded on the concept that eating may be both delicious and good for the environment. As a leader, Markus looks for candidates who share enthusiasm and are eager to contribute to the company’s growth.
“Leckais quite flat in nature. I am happy to delegate tasks and participate in significant decisions to reach our objectives, but I encourage others to use their initiative. We’re on the right track, and I’d want to spend less time micromanaging day-to-day activities and more time on big-picture stuff like strategy, growth, and preserving our values.” Told Markus when asked about the secret to his successful leadership.
Markus finds the option to juggle offline and online tasks simultaneously fantastic. Offline, Lecka manufactures and sells nutritious snack options and participates in groups through online channels. “Working in both sectors gives you a great foundation of knowledge and experience. The manufacturing process, developing new, fantastic recipes, improving our packaging, and giving out free samples to clients is where I really like spending my time in this age of increasing digitalization.”
Markus believes that building a consumer brand in Asia is quite thrilling for a German and considers it exciting to be a part of Asia’s development.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
“We’re psyched to expand our product offerings and enter new markets. Our commitment to providing customers with nutritious and environmentally responsible food options remains unchanged.”
Markus’ goal is to construct a well-oiled machine for #teamlecka. The firm is expanding in terms of personnel and output, and he feels it is his responsibility to ensure that everyone on the team has the resources they need to thrive.
“We are no longer a little group but rather a global organization with employees in many cities throughout many nations, everyone of whom must feel excellent about the work they perform,” adds Markus.
BUSINESS WISDOM FROM MARKUS
“When it comes to my current firm, Lecka, the most excellent piece of advice I’ve received so far is to put all my energy into making a fantastic product. If you have a fantastic product, people will flock to you. The second piece of advice is to establish your distribution channels in advance. Both puzzles need to be solved before the machine can begin operating.”
Markus shares the key learnings and stresses that keeping a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained for the long haul is critical for making changes to better yourself and the world around you. Following your passion and taking good care of yourself are the essential ingredients that everyone must add to the recipe of their success to ensure a successful future.
