Global Shared Feature: Deciding on Media and Measuring Effectiveness

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has successfully implemented its Amul butter campaign primarily through the use of billboards at strategic locations on a pan- ndia level! "he campaign uses a Amul butter mascot# popularly kno$n as the Amul girl# $hich has $on the hearts of ndian consumers by playing the role of a social observer and commenting on current events using humor! "his has succeeded in enhancing the brand image of Amul leading to a virtual monopoly for the GCMMF in the butter category! "he success of the campaign is reflected in the GCMMF%s plan to nominate it to the Guinness &ook of 'orld (ecords for the longest running campaign in ndia!

Feature Copy
"he Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)# ndia%s largest food products marketing organi)ation# has successfully implemented its Amul butter campaign primarily through the use of billboards at strategic places! "he campaign# $hich started in *+,-# introducing Amul butter%s brand ambassador.a round-eyed# chubby-cheeked girl in a polka-dotted frock# had been ndia%s longest running campaign! "he Amul butter campaign forms part of the collective memory of a large number of ndians# many of $hom gre$ up $atching the Amul butter topicals! 'hen the campaign $as launched in *+,-# Amul $anted to break the dull# boring image built by normal corporate advertisement and establish a livelier image! Moreover# Amul $anted a mascot $hich $ould $in hearts of house$ives and could rival /"he &utter Girl%# the mascot of the main competitor 0olson! "he challenge $as to bring e1citement to the image of Amul butter by involving humor but $ithout offending the ndian mass and house$ives $ho had taken food seriously and $ould not like to fool around $ith it! "he campaign $as managed by 2ylvester daCunha# $ho in collaboration $ith artist 3ustace Fernandes# created the Amul butter mascot# no$ popularly called Amul girl! "hey also $rote the tag-line 45tterly &utterly 6elicious Amul7! "he campaign introduced the strategy of $ooing the consumer by applying humor in advertisements for the first time in ndia! 2ince the campaign planned to use a number of billboards in the city of &ombay (no$ Mumbai)# the sketches $ere kept simple so that painters could paint the billboards 8uickly! "he first billboards# put up in *+,-# not only charmed everyone%s hearts but also enabled Amul butter to establish itself in the city of &ombay! As the campaign became successful# Amul continued the campaign $ith the objective of ruling the hearts of consumers by reminding them of its presence in their daily life! 'hile the initial ads made statements of some kind or the other# the campaign slo$ly ac8uired a topical tenor! "he campaign utili)ed billboards at strategic locations on a pan- ndia level and emerged as a communication tool that commented on current events related to politics# television# films# celebrities# cricket# economy# environment# festivals# foreign affairs# great ndians# nternet# kids# lifestyles# music# sports# strikes# and the urban life! "he message strategy tried to evoke humor in the target audience by use of 9inglish# a mi1ture of 9indi and 3nglish! "he message# $ith the Amul butter girl playing the role of a social observer# succeeded in connecting $ith the target consumer# thus enhancing the brand image! "he success is also reflected in the sales as the sales of Amul butter has jumped from less than :( * million in *+,- to over :( ; billion in <==-! >ver the last forty years# the basic structure of the campaign has remained the same $ith the Amul girl holding out her favorite packet of butter# accompanying a sketch of the topic for $hich comments $ere made along $ith the catch-line 45tterly &utterly 6elicious7! "he consistency has been attributed to GCMMF%s policy of continuing $ith the same agency for the e1ecution of campaign! Another hallmark of the Amul butter topical campaign had been the speed $ith $hich the advertisements $ere put up on the billboards overnight! daCunha Communications# $ho have been handling the campaign for nearly forty years# credit the speed of e1ecution to the free hand given by GCMMF to the ad agency for the content and the art$ork of the ads! n fact even the top management of GCMMF comes to kno$ about the contents of the ads only $hen the advertisements go on the billboards! For each of the products# GCMMF has a policy of spending up to one percent of the previous year%s turnover for the ne1t year%s advertising! 9o$ever# the high levels of brand a$areness# large-market share# and the lo$ cost of billboard strategy ensure that GCMMF does not have to spend more than one percent of Amul butter turnover on advertising! 6espite the entry of many ne$ players in the butter market# GCMMF is only spending :( <= million on a turnover of :( ; billion for advertising Amul butter! n order to maintain dominance# GCMMF undertakes regular brand impact analysis for the campaign# based on sales audit reports by A! C! :ielson!

Sources Gaurav 2ood# 45tterly butterly adorable campaign#7 "he "ribune# http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/spectrum/main7.htm # March ?# <==*! Mini @erma# 4"he moppet $ho put Amul on ndia%s breakfast table#7 The Asian Age, http://www.amul.com/story.html # March A# *++,! Mitul "hakkar# 45tterly AmulB "he naughty turns forty#7 The Economic Times, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_ ndustry/!ons_"roducts/#ood/$tterly_%mul_&he_nau'hty_turns_(orty/rssarticleshow/2424)* ).cms# >ctober A# <==-! (ita 2a$hney# 45tterly &utterly 6elhicious#7 The Times of India, http://timeso(india.indiatimes.com/articleshow/+20300*2+.cms # 2eptember **# <==*! 2aurabh "urakhia# 4Amul girlC ?=B 2till on every bread you take7# The Hindustan Times, >ctober ?# <==-! 2ravanthi Challapalli# 42taying 0o$er#7 The Hindu Business Line, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/200+/0*/02/stories/200+0*02000+0100.htm # Dune <# <==;!

6iscuss the advantages and disadvantages of using billboards as communication media for Amul butter
campaign!

Comment on the objectives and budget allocation process for Amul butter campaign! 6o you feel that the
budget needs to be increased in the light of entry of ne$ playersE

Advantages are 9oardings as a medium are impactful if the locations are $ell chosen and the message compelling! 3asy to change and reflect current issues t can provide a combination of a message and branding!!!eg Fondon airport authorities had taken a decision to conduct virginity tests on ndian $omen to verify their claims of having husbands already resident in the uk!!2o they spoofed that ndian virgin need no urgin $hich actually became controversial! t saves a lot of cost! 3asy to remove if the message becomes controversial! t also becomes a mouthpiece of the common public!!!for eg communicating about their grievances as they go about their everyday life like po$er shortages# bad roads and raising the legal age for drinking!

"he billboards have become a kind of moving timeline marking $hat $e have considered significant at various points of time in our past! "he great advantage is that it has never tried too hard to make a comment# it is by highlighting a subject $ith gentle humour and unerring timing that it allo$s the audience to think abt the event using their o$n perspective! "hey are able to bring a message across $ith humour# satire and sarcasm to reflect current affairs! 9as lasted for so many years thus leaving a mark on the people%s lives and becoming a part of it! "he language used is very simple and believes in being minimalistic! "here is nothing complicated in the amul characters and their message! t is simple and accessible! t does not go unnoticed as at some point everyone is out on the streets and if the sites are $ell located they $ill grab attention t al$ays keeps changing its ads and has thus made people to look for$ard for it!

Disadvantages are "he hoardings can only catch a glimpse of the reality "he different kind of issues happening in ndia makes the country diverse and disparate and thus they have to create region specific hoardings! "hey have to be changed every three days Fight heartedness has often lead them to the doorstep of the legal process!!!for eg jagmohan dalmiya 9as a very fe$ time to create an impact as the people don%t stop and $atch it# they $atch it as they travel or pass by

Objectives

ere as follo s

"he event has to be of sufficient interest# it needs to have some dramatic potential and a $ay to connect it $ith the brand# ho$ever superficial or contrived that link might be! "he link $ith the brand is an imp part of the charm of the message for it gives boundaries to the message "he objective is to link the brand# the humour and the topicality! "ell the stories of india Giss Meshing the brand statement into a fun line! &ringing out the topic