India’s Amul has been named the world strongest dairy brand in 2024 as per the latest “Brand Finance Food and Drink Report, 2024”. This report was released by the UK-based brand valuation consultancy “Brand Finance” whose purpose is to evaluate and rank the most valuable and strongest brands in the food, dairy, and non-alcoholic beverage sectors.
The story of Amul:
Amul is an Indian dairy brand founded by Tribhuvandas Patel in 1946 is located in Anand, Gujarat, and is owned by the biggest cooperative society in India, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
In earlier times, Polson Dairy used to take milk from local farmers of the Kaira district at lower prices and sell it to the Bombay Government at higher prices. To help farmers against such exploitation, as a part of the cooperative movement, Amul (Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited) was established in Anand, Gujarat.
The union started pasteurizing milk and sending it directly to the Bombay Government. Later, this union grew from a few farmers to 432 farmers by the end of 1948. The late Dr Verghese Kurien known as the “Milkman of India” joined Amul in 1949 and under his visionary leadership through the White Revolution and innovative dairy processing techniques, Amul revolutionised India’s dairy industry
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Dr. Kurien doesn’t want to stop here. He wanted to provide these small dairy farmers with better prices for their produce and better marketing. This led to the formation of The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in 1973. GCMMF helps Amul sell its milk and milk products produced by 6 local dairy unions in Gujarat. Today, it’s the biggest exporter of dairy products in India, and Amul is the brand that represents all its products.
5 Key Factors That Made Amul the World Strongest Dairy Brand in 2024
1. Amul’s Recognition and ranking
- Amul is the World Strongest Dairy Brand in 2024 as well as the first strongest food brand.
- Out of 5,000 food brands worldwide, Amul ranks among the top 30 most valuable food brands.
- It is the only farmer-owned brand in the top 100 food brands.
2. Amul’s Brand Value and Sustainability
As the largest FMCG brand in India, Amul has an impressive annual sales turnover of Rs. 55,070 crores (2022-23) which is equivalent to approx. $ 7.2 billion. Amul’s brand value has reached $3.3 billion (2024) showing an increase of 11% from the previous year (2023), placing itself 7th among the world’s most valuable dairy brands.
(* Brand value should not be confused with sales turnover. Brand value is the amount received by a company if it sells its brand, name, logo, or any other asset. Whereas, sales turnover is the amount of money that a company earns by selling their products and services for a given period of time.)
It also ranks 7th in “Sustainability Perception Values (SPV)”, showcasing its dedication to responsible practices. Sustainability Perceptions Value is a unit that measures how much a brand’s overall value is influenced by how people perceive its sustainability efforts. If a brand has a positive sustainability perception value, it means its actual sustainability performance is better than what people think.
3. Brand Strength Metrics
The Brand Strength Index (BSI) is a method that measures how a brand is performing against its competitors. Amul has a high Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91/100, earning an AAA+ rating owing to its strong performance. Amul holds a significant market share as a competitor, holding 85% of the Indian butter market and 66% of the cheese market alone.
4. Exports
In India, GCMMF is the largest exporter of dairy products, exporting more than 14 products including skim milk powder, butter, cheese, beverages, paneer, ghee, consumer packs, etc. to more than 30 countries. It has been awarded by Govt. of India with the APEDA Export award (2011-12) for its excellence in dairy products exports for more than 13 years.
5. Marketing and branding strategies:
- One brand strategy
Various FMCG brands provide a range of products under different brand names. What Amul does is the complete opposite. It launches and sells its products under the single brand name Amul. This strategy leverages consumer loyalty and trust, allowing them to build a strong brand identity that consumers recognize and rely on.
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- The well-known Amul girl
In response to rival Polson’s butter-girl, a character created in 1966 and advertised in 1967, Amul’s marketing success relies heavily on the beloved Amul Girl. With her polka-dotted dress, blue hair, and orange face, she has become the face of Amul. You can see her doing yoga, playing cricket, and more, which keeps things fresh and relatable in different ads. She can be seen in funny cartoons that comment on news, sports, and social issues, making her more than just an ad character; she represents the culture of India. Smart use of the Amul Girl has made her one of the best marketing strategies for Amul, helping the brand build strong loyalty and trust among consumers.
- Amul’s Moment Marketing: Turning Current Events into Brand Conversations
This approach involves the use of current events or tending topics to gain customer attraction. It creates timely and attractive ads related to trending events, making it both related and impactful which helps Amul to connect with consumers to a deeper level.
- Creative jingles and taglines:
Simple yet impactful taglines such as “Amul Doodh Pita Hai India”, “The Taste of India” and “ utterly buttery delicious- Amul” cleverly resonate with consumers. These catchy phrases have proven to be a key part of Amul’s successful branding strategy.
Along with this, Amul’s unique cooperative structure, low-high-quality product strategy, digital marketing, social media marketing, and Amul recipes have solidified its status as a household name in India.
References
- Brand Finance Food and Drink Report, 2024
- Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) official statements
- The official website of Amul
- Marketing Strategy of Amul – A Complete Case Study with Examples
