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Tag: Amul

  • Amul is the official sponsor of the Indian contingent to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

    Amul is the official sponsor of the Indian contingent to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

    NEW DELHI: Food products marketing organization Amul is the official sponsor of the Indian contingent at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

    The contract was signed by Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) MD R S Sodhi today.

    In 2012, Amul sponsored the Indian contingent at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

    Amul has earlier been an avid supporter of various sporting events, may it be the Asian Games, Commonwealth games or other sports.

    To be inaugurated on 5 August 2016 in Brazil, the Rio Olympics will play host to the largest Indian contingent ever, with close to 100 sportspersons being a part of it.
    Amul aims to engage with youth and leverage the connection between the energy of milk and sports. It is the main ingredient for the fitness of any sportsman. Hence it is an appropriate association for Amul.

    Amul will launch a series of advertising campaigns for milk and various dairy products to promote this association in the coming months.

    Amul has embarked upon an “Eat Milk with Every Meal” campaign to highlight the importance of milk and dairy products like cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, paneer etc. in the daily diet. Amul Doodh Pita hai India, one of Amul’s most loved campaign, will be used to cheer the Indian contingent. India is the largest producer of milk in the world and Amul is not only India’s but Asia’s largest milk brand.

    Sodhi said, “Amul is committed to strengthening the Olympic movement in India and encourage young generation from all over the country to take up Olympic sports. I take great pleasure and pride in announcing our sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the Olympic Games Rio 2016”.

    Explaining the foundation of this association, he said milk is nature’s original energy drink and plays a pivotal role in building the physical and mental strength of the athletes. Nutritious dairy diet is an important part in the diets of athletes around the world.

    Participation in Olympics is the aspiration of every athlete and with the kind of investments made by our country in this arena to select, nurture and train the best athletes, we are confident that Indian contingent will deliver the best ever performance in the Olympic games and make our country proud. Further, he said that this association will help in engaging the kids and youth so that they can enjoy a healthy life.”

    Mehta added, “I would like to thank Mr RS Sodhi and Amul family for coming on board as the sponsor for our Indian contingent for Rio Olympics. I am happy that Amul family is supporting Indian Olympic Association from past sometime. The preparations for our athletes are in full swing and till date more than 100 athletes have qualified for Rio Olympics, this is the largest ever contingent we are sending to Olympics”.

  • Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

    Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

    MUMBAI: Zee TV announced the revamp of one of its most popular homegrown talent showsSa Re Ga Ma Pawhich completed 20 years recently. The talent show helped enrich the Indian music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent pool.

    The channels has roped in Amul as the title sponsor, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is powered by Flipkart’ and driven by Hyundai. Also Zee TV is hoping for another co-powered by sponsor for the show.  Starting from 26 March, the show will be aired at 9:30pm.

    The channel has relaunched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with new logo and a new concept. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess aspiring singers’ right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process.  The jury represents different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists.

    Talking with Indiatelevision.com, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The format has grown with the aegis and the engagement of the industry and for the mentors. For us Sa Re Ga Ma Pa doesn’t live for three months, it lives for the ages. Singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Divya, KunalGanjawala, ShekharRavjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan are the brands for us. This year’s there is very conscious participative opportunity in the show based on ability. For example,a music director will look at things very differently. It’s just not the voice that matters it’s the art of putting all things together that is important. Hence we thought that the jury will be the part of the show as the mentors will be sharpening them and then they will be evaluated by the jury. So that’s the balance we want to keep this time.”

    The channel has also introduced the 100 sec clock in the show.“It’s very important for a person to understand that time is precious. People needs to value time, talent and need to give their best performance in those 100 secs. Times don’t wait for anybody. There will be no retakes or second chance as they get enough time to rehearse,” adds Hejmadi.

    The mentors include the Dabangg duo from BollywoodSajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence – Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan groomed in a family with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season.

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will also be available on its digital platform Ditto TV and OZEE.
    At 9.30pm, the show will be pitched against Sony Entertainment Television’s upcoming comedy show with comedy king Kapil Sharma which will go live from 23 April at 9 pm on weekends.

    “India’s Best Dramebaaz has done really well for the channel. Once people get attached to a particular show then they will find time to watch the show. So channels will come and go and some new shows will come but certain shows will always stays. Zee has been the pioneer in this format, its first one to start in the industry and we have a very powerful run,”said Hejmadi further.

    The channel has aggressive promotion plans for one of its most popular shows. “Digital will remain the important part of promotions. We will be unleashing the brand campaign with the core brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. After that we will go into the components to showcase what goes in the show and what will be different in the it,” informedHejmadi.

    Zee TV is also planning to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international. “Music is a form of expression. In India we recite different kinds of songs and so in any other country. What we intend to do is to showcase some of the fabulous talent and get out in those market and do the local version of Sa ReGa Mas. Every SaReGaMa has to start at very particular level. There is intent to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international with a local version rather then bring international participants here, informed Hejmadi.

    Essel Vision Productions Limited business head Akash Chawla, said, “The auditions across 14 cities have given us some spectacular talent spanning varied genres of music and we look forward to a great season. This season marks a strong differentiator for Sa Re Ga Ma as we introduce a new format. We have enlisted the support of 30 music connoisseurs – experts in the music fraternity who will aid the selection process right from the outset. This will be the first time that a singing reality show will have a jury of experts beyond its mentors to arrive at the finest talent. One singer will be evaluated from 30 different perspectives of music. So, the challenge for each aspirant only gets tougher.”

     

  • Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

    Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

    MUMBAI: Zee TV announced the revamp of one of its most popular homegrown talent showsSa Re Ga Ma Pawhich completed 20 years recently. The talent show helped enrich the Indian music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent pool.

    The channels has roped in Amul as the title sponsor, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is powered by Flipkart’ and driven by Hyundai. Also Zee TV is hoping for another co-powered by sponsor for the show.  Starting from 26 March, the show will be aired at 9:30pm.

    The channel has relaunched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with new logo and a new concept. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess aspiring singers’ right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process.  The jury represents different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists.

    Talking with Indiatelevision.com, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The format has grown with the aegis and the engagement of the industry and for the mentors. For us Sa Re Ga Ma Pa doesn’t live for three months, it lives for the ages. Singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Divya, KunalGanjawala, ShekharRavjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan are the brands for us. This year’s there is very conscious participative opportunity in the show based on ability. For example,a music director will look at things very differently. It’s just not the voice that matters it’s the art of putting all things together that is important. Hence we thought that the jury will be the part of the show as the mentors will be sharpening them and then they will be evaluated by the jury. So that’s the balance we want to keep this time.”

    The channel has also introduced the 100 sec clock in the show.“It’s very important for a person to understand that time is precious. People needs to value time, talent and need to give their best performance in those 100 secs. Times don’t wait for anybody. There will be no retakes or second chance as they get enough time to rehearse,” adds Hejmadi.

    The mentors include the Dabangg duo from BollywoodSajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence – Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan groomed in a family with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season.

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will also be available on its digital platform Ditto TV and OZEE.
    At 9.30pm, the show will be pitched against Sony Entertainment Television’s upcoming comedy show with comedy king Kapil Sharma which will go live from 23 April at 9 pm on weekends.

    “India’s Best Dramebaaz has done really well for the channel. Once people get attached to a particular show then they will find time to watch the show. So channels will come and go and some new shows will come but certain shows will always stays. Zee has been the pioneer in this format, its first one to start in the industry and we have a very powerful run,”said Hejmadi further.

    The channel has aggressive promotion plans for one of its most popular shows. “Digital will remain the important part of promotions. We will be unleashing the brand campaign with the core brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. After that we will go into the components to showcase what goes in the show and what will be different in the it,” informedHejmadi.

    Zee TV is also planning to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international. “Music is a form of expression. In India we recite different kinds of songs and so in any other country. What we intend to do is to showcase some of the fabulous talent and get out in those market and do the local version of Sa ReGa Mas. Every SaReGaMa has to start at very particular level. There is intent to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international with a local version rather then bring international participants here, informed Hejmadi.

    Essel Vision Productions Limited business head Akash Chawla, said, “The auditions across 14 cities have given us some spectacular talent spanning varied genres of music and we look forward to a great season. This season marks a strong differentiator for Sa Re Ga Ma as we introduce a new format. We have enlisted the support of 30 music connoisseurs – experts in the music fraternity who will aid the selection process right from the outset. This will be the first time that a singing reality show will have a jury of experts beyond its mentors to arrive at the finest talent. One singer will be evaluated from 30 different perspectives of music. So, the challenge for each aspirant only gets tougher.”

     

  • Amul, LIC matter to Indians most: Havas Global Top Meaningful Brands 2015 study

    Amul, LIC matter to Indians most: Havas Global Top Meaningful Brands 2015 study

    Amul has emerged as India’s Most Meaningful Brand. In India, Indians have the highest attachment towards Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), the iconic state-owned insurance group, are some of the findings of the India Study Findings of Havas’ Meaningful Brands 2015 study.

    Havas Media India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar, CEO explained, “This is our largest India study to date in size and scope. Marketers will be encouraged to know that India once again stands out as the No.1 country, globally, where consumers have the closest relationship with brands. India is also the most ‘grateful’ country, rewarding meaningful brands, in business terms. We are seeing that in a developing economy like India, unlike the West and more developed economies, people are more trusting of brands. People here believe brands can play a meaningful role in their lives and that brands are working hard towards improving our quality of life and wellbeing. This creates tremendous opportunities for brands in India to communicate and connect with their customers, in our organic world – which is at the core of the Meaningful Brands Project.”

    ‘Food’ is one of the most meaningful sectors, attaining strong attachment and trust. Food brands are especially meaningful for making peoples’ daily lives better with their rational benefits of savings, convenience, health and better nutritional habits.

    Local brands like Amul take the lead with multinational corporations like Cadbury who introduce local brands to resonate with consumer context and tastes, locally. The study says that 86 percent of people would care if LIC disappeared tomorrow as compared to globally where most people do not care if 74 percent of brands disappeared the next day.

    In India, brands have a high level of meaningfulness and are seen as providers of personal and collective wellbeing; they are viewed as much more than functional products. Brands in India are also seen to be meeting consumers’ expectations more than in any other region.

    75 percent of Indians believe brands should play a role in improving our quality of life and wellbeing; the Asia Pacific the average being 69 percent and the globally average 67 percent. More than half i.e. 67 percent of Indian’s feel that brands are working hard at improving our quality of life and wellbeing, very impressive, compared to an Asia Pacific average of 55 percent and Global average of 38 percent.

    The top 10 Meaningful Brands in India are Amul, Cadbury, Google, Britannia, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), Microsoft, Intel, HP, Parle, and Samsung, as compared to the Global top 10 Meaning Brands that include Samsung, Google, Nestlé, Bimbo, Sony, Microsoft, Nivea, Visa, IKEA, Intel.

    Havas Media Group India Managing Director Mohit Joshi summarised, “People in India are happy to have brands as partners and as enablers to help them improve their quality of life and wellbeing. While in the West there is a high commoditisation of brands, people in India, have ‘high expectations’ and ‘reward’ those brands that contribute to their wellbeing – this is the second time in a row that LIC has scored as the brand with the highest attachment. The study throws open exciting possibilities for marketers and brands to interact with their customers.”

    Meaningful Brands is Havas’ metric of brand strength. It is a global study in its sixth year globally and in its third year in India, to show how our quality of life and wellbeing connects with brands at both a human and business level. On a global scale, the study covers 1,000 brands, 300,000 people, 34 countries across 12 industries. The research covers aspects of people’s lives that include the impact on their collective wellbeing, in personal wellbeing, and marketplace factors, which relate to product performance such as quality and price.

  • ‘Piku’ piques brands’ interest for product placement

    ‘Piku’ piques brands’ interest for product placement

    MUMBAI: As many as six brands, a couple of them first timers, have inked a product placement deal with Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) recently released film Piku, which is directed by ShoojitSircar and stars Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan.

     

    The six brands namely Amul, Syska, Himalayan Water, PriyagoldSnakker, Jaypee Greens, and Mitashi have been placed it in the movie without disrupting the flow of the story. Of these, Syska and Himalyan Water are debutants in the space of product placement in movies.

     

    Each of these brands communicates and highlights different aspects of the film. While Amul takes up the family space with its sub-brands Amul Milk and Amul Ice-cream, Syska talks about how gadgets help in keep us going in our busy lives via their Bluetooth and Power Bank Range. Himalayan Water, on the other hand, talks about the mantra of living natural in our ever so busy life, whereas PriyagoldSnakker talks about relishing the small and sweet moments of life.

     

    The brands have also extended their partnership into a marketing tie-up on the ATL & BTL mediums. Brands like Amul, Syska, Priyagold Snakker and Mitashi have created co-branded TV spots and played it across various music, news, sports and general entertainment channels (GECs).

     

    PriyagoldSnakker also created special Piku Chocolate Packs, which are being sold in the market. Himalayan Water supported the film via BTL promotions across their retail chains and also created special Piku Neck Tags for their bottles.

     

    Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) managing director R S Sodhisaid, “We are happy to have associated with this fantastic, slice-of-life, family based, fun film. The association of the film with our most popular milk and ice-cream brand will appeal to all audiences across the nation. We have had several appropriate film associations in the past, which helped us connect with the audience in a better manner. We wish the movie all success.”

     

    SSK Group of Companies director Rajesh Uttamchandani added, “Tie-ip with multi-starrer movie Pikuhas taken our brand to the next level and with Irrfan Khan as our brand ambassador and a leading protagonist in the movie, it makes this an apt choice. Aww! Entertainment has played a phenomenal role in making this journey successful.”

     

    MSM motion pictures senior vice president revenues and marketing Vivek Krishnani said “Piku is uniquely positioned because it has appeal across different age groups, therefore it is important for the film to travel to diverse audiences across the country. The film has garnered interest across a cross section of brands who have found Piku to be an ideal platform to reach out to their consumers, who are also movie going audiences. We are glad to have Aww! Entertainment as one of our key agencies that have led some of our critical brand associations.”

  • Amul to invest Rs 250 crore in Sankrail food park in West Bengal

    Amul to invest Rs 250 crore in Sankrail food park in West Bengal

    KOLKATA: Amul-owned Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation is planning to set up a Rs 250 crore dairy processing plant at Sankrail in West Bengal.

     

    Additionally, Amul has planned an investment of Rs 5,000-crore for expansion of its own milk processing capacities in the next two to three years.

     

    “The new modern plant at Sankrail food park will cost us Rs 250 crore with optimum processing capacity of 15 lakh litres per day,” Amul managing director RS Sodhi said.

     

    The plant, which will come up on 16 acres of land at the food park, is expected to be operational in the next 15 months.

     

    Amul will be manufacturing fresh milk products, ice cream and beverages in the plant, Sodhi said.

     

    “Currently, Amul operates three plants in Kolkata on contractual basis with a total processing capacity of 7,25,000 litres of milk per day,” Sodhi said. “Milk collection for Kolkata and adjoining markets would be increased from local farmers, which accounts for just one-third of its milk requirement,” he added.

     

    Makers of Amul branded milk and dairy products will establish 10 new processing units in different regions of the country, he said talking about the company’s national plan.

     

    In tune with global milk price crash this fiscal, the milk prices in the country remained depressed. When being asked about the probable price hike, he said, “We have had our last price hike in May last year. This year prices may rise by around five per cent in tandem with inflation.”

  • Amul to invest Rs 5000-crore in expansion to achieve 2020 revenue target: RS Sodhi

    Amul to invest Rs 5000-crore in expansion to achieve 2020 revenue target: RS Sodhi

    MUMBAI: A household name in India, Amul, will invest Rs 5,000 crore to set up around 10 milk processing plants in the next financial year including two plants in Delhi, three in Uttar Pradesh, one each in Kolkata and Maharashtra and the rest in Gujarat.

     

    “The endeavour is to achieve its revenue target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2020,” said Amul managing director RS Sodhi.

     

    Speaking at an interactive session on the third and final day at the India Food Forum 2015, Sodhi, in conversation with Future Retail CEO Sadashiv Nayak, said, “Amul will be able to achieve annual revenues of Rs 20,000 crore this year.”

     

    While increasing milk productivity and improved breeds and feeding practices in India is a challenge for Amul, Sodhi emphasised on the need to encourage the next generation of the rural farmer to remain in animal husbandry business.

     

    “It is possible to earn Rs 40,000 per month with 30-40 cows and buffaloes at project cost of Rs 21 lakh including a loan component of Rs 15 lakh,” Sodhi said.

     

    Unperturbed about the new entrants in the dairy segment from the private sector and MNCs, Sodhi, welcoming the competition, said, “India’s organised sector only constitutes 20 per cent of the Rs 4 lakh crore market size for dairy products in the country and there is space and scope for everyone.”

     

    “Our philosophy for the past 60 years have been to ensure remuneration prices for our 3.5 million members and value for money for the consumer, using the best ingredient at a fair price,” Sodhi said.

     

    Stating that butter making was not a rocket technology and every housewife knows how to make butter, Sodhi said, that 100 grams of Amul butter was still be cheaper than 100 grams of premium soap, which was possible only because of Amul’s philosophy of keeping in mind the farmer and consumer.

     

    “Unlike industry practices, where you buy raw material cheaper and realised better in sales, Amul ensures that raw material is at the best price and selling price remains lower compared to peers,” he said.

     

    “Hence, we cannot spend more than one per cent of our revenue on advertising while other food companies spend 8-15 per cent annually,” Sodhi said, indicating that its advertising expenditure last year was 0.8 per cent.

     

    Sharing the secret of Amul remaining a youthful brand, Sodhi said, “Most of the top members of the management are at their first job working for over four decades and hence have neither changed their campaign nor their agency. Hence, continuity and consistency in communication has kept Amul young with the butter girl.”

  • Amul bets high on sports marketing

    Amul bets high on sports marketing

    NEW DELHI: Amul which claims to be India’s largest food products marketing organization is all set to sponsor the Indian contingent for the upcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games to be held later this year in South Korea.

     

    A Memorandum of Understanding in this regard was signed by Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta and Gujarat Amul Milk Marketing Federation Managing Director R S Sodhi in a function graced by Rakesh Gupta, Joint Secretary, and Anil Khanna, Treasurer, Indian Olympic Association. Amul has become the official sponsor of the Indian team in the category of dairy products.

     

    Announcing Amul’s support for the Indian contingent to both these prestigious sporting events, Sodhi said, “Amul is committed to strengthening the support to sports in various forms and encourage young generation from all corners of the country to take up sports. I take great pleasure and pride in announcing our sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the XX Commonwealth Games and the XVII Asian Games.” 

     

    Explaining the rationale of this association, he said milk is nature’s original energy drink and plays a pivotal role in building the physical and mental strength of the athletes. Amul has embarked upon an ‘Eat Milk with Every Meal’ campaign to highlight the importance of milk and dairy products like cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, paneer etc. in the daily diet.

     

    It can be noted that Amul has associated with sports events like football, Cricket World Cup and Formula 1 to engage the youth. Sodhi mentioned that the Amul had sponsored the Indian contingent to the London Olympic Games in 2012 which was India’s most successful Olympics.

     

    “With the kind of investments made by our country to select, nurture and train the best athletes, we are confident that Indian contingents  to the forthcoming Commonwealth and Asian Games will deliver their best ever performances and make our country proud,” said Sodhi.

     

    Lauding Amul’s support to the Indian Olympic contingent, Mehta said “This support to the Indian sports will go a long way and further strengthen the bond between Amul and IOA and leave a longer lasting impact on the sports lovers and sports persons”.

     

    Amul will launch a series of advertising campaigns for milk and various dairy products to promote this association in the coming months.

     

    The XX Commonwealth Games will be held at Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3 and the XVII Asian Games scheduled to be held at Incheon, South Korea from 19 September– 4 October, 2014.

  • Taste of India available at Sony’s ‘Cafe Rio’

    Taste of India available at Sony’s ‘Cafe Rio’

    MUMBAI: It was almost 65 years ago that a revolution started from a small village in Gujarat, and since then Amul has been a part and parcel of our lives, everyday.

     

    The company, which saw Rs 18,150 crore turnover last year, has become a part of our lives like its products. From just sarcastic hoardings on topical issues, Amul has now ventured into the television screens through its limited advertisements, but what has caught more attention is its association with various sporting events.

     

    The year 2011 saw the Anand-based Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) sponsoring the cricket team of Netherlands in the ICC Cricket World Cup and Switzerland-headquartered Sauber F1 team at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. It took a step further when it decided to sponsor the Indian contingent at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

     

    And now with the football fever gripping the entire world, the ‘Taste of India’ can be seen on our screens every day before the game begins. Amul is the main sponsors of the shows – Cafe Rio and Football Extraa – on Sony Six.

     

    “Our sponsorship of Cafe Rio and Football Extraa was a good option as it gave an opportunity to cover the entire event very comprehensively right from pre-match discussion to post-match wrap up during the breakfast show next day,” says the company’s MD RS Sodhi.

     

    When asked why this sudden interest in sports, he says, “Milk is nature’s original energy drink and plays a pivotal role in building the physical and mental strength of the sportsmen. Nutritious dairy diet comprising milk, cheese, yogurt etc. is an important part in the diets of athletes around the world. India is the largest producer of milk in the world and Amul is not only India’s but Asia’s largest milk brand.  This association with sports and activities around it will help us in engaging with the youth so that they can enjoy a healthy life and strive to become more competitive in their endeavours.”

     

    It also believes that sporting events are now getting increasingly popular amongst all age groups, both men and women and hence, live sporting events provide a good opportunity for the brand. So much so, that it has become an integral part of its media plans. “We do not treat this as an additional spend,” points out Sodhi.

     

    The cherry-picking begins well in advance since the schedule of most of the sporting events is available much in advance. So far, it has associated itself with events like F1, Olympics, IPL, EPL and now the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Many more such associations with other events is on cards.

     

    The brand’s marketing strategy has changed as well. The girl in the polka-dot frock is inseparable from the brand’s identity, but through its recently launched digital campaign ‘Har ghar Amul ghar’, because it wanted a longer format that went beyond 40 seconds followed by a humorous campaign featuring a person with a milk moustache who ‘Eats Milk with Every Meal’, it has (finally) moved on with time.

     

    The audience plays the key role when it comes to media selection. “If a large number of our youth are on social media, we cannot ignore it. We have a very high traction on social media – be it Facebook or Twitter. Our topicals are first released on social media, then on hoardings, TV and print. The topicals are published in 35 newspapers every Wednesday with a print run of over 35 million copies,” informs Sodhi.

     

    At the recently concluded World Dairy Innovation Awards 2014 during the eight Global Dairy Congress, Amul bagged the ‘Best Marketing Campaign’ award for the ‘Eat Milk with Every Meal’ campaign. The full-page format across leading dailies like the Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Telegraph, Deccan Chronicle etc. highlighted the importance of milk and dairy products in every one’s diet. “We are happy that our efforts have got recognised at the global level,” says Sodhi humbly.

     

    FY14 was extremely good for Amul and with its expansion plans the brand is optimistic about 2015 as well. “Amul has been growing at a CAGR of 22 per cent since last five years. Our last year’s growth was 32 per cent. And we plan to grow by 20-25 per cent this year too,” concludes Sodhi.

  • Everybody loves the Amul girl!

    Everybody loves the Amul girl!

    MUMBAI: April was an eventful month or so for Amul, the iconic brand marketed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).

    On the one hand, GCMMF crossed Rs 18,000 crore in 2013-14; a jump of 32 per cent from the previous year, apart from posting the fastest growth ever for a four decade-old dairy cooperative. On the other hand however, Amul has been served legal notice by the Sahara Group for its hoarding ‘Besahara Parivar’ where Sahara employees are shown begging to collect Rs 5,000 crore for group chief Subrata Roy’s bail.

    Indeed, Amul has built a reputation for its witty but unflinching stance on a wide range of issues of national importance. At the same time, it has also come under fire for force-fitting itself. Indiantelevision spoke to some industry experts for their views on the Amul brand of marketing.

    “Amul advertising is today iconic in its genre. A powerful set of topical creatives gives this brand high scale visibility across a relatively small set of hoardings and selective print vehicles across the country. It can be noted that sometimes, due to the pressure of wanting new creatives, the brand has been force-fitting itself. I do believe it needs to set a standard that it will not fall below,” said Harish Bijoor Consults CEO and brand expert Harish Bijoor. According to him, the creative around the Sahara Group is a terrific one, as usual. “The brand is used to receiving legal notices I am sure. This is all part of the game”, he said.

     

    Tata Housing head of marketing services Rajeeb Dash, pointed out that Amul has always rolled out ads that are a break-through of sorts. “Sometimes, taking a strong stance helps brands create break-through via communication strategies. Amul seems to have taken that route since a while.”

    Curry-Nation founder Priti Nair, expressed the view, “Amul usually puns on something and connects it to the butter. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. I don’t think this deserves a legal notice.” For Nair, the hoardings are iconic. “Amul as a brand has used a spin on current happenings as its communication strategy. Be it other brands or cricket or politics or Bollywood. Whatever is in the news and has eyeballs, Amul always does a spin on that and nobody minds cause it is always in good spirit.”

    One thing that came across was that the fraternity loves the li’l Amul girl and everything about her. No matter the challenges, she looks set to win hearts…