Abstract

The case discusses home grown dairy brand Amul’s foray into the carbonated drinks space in India with the launch of a fizzy fruit based dairy drink ‘Tru Seltzer’ in October 2020. Said to be India’s first seltzer, Amul Tru Seltzer was available in two flavors — lemon and orange – and was affordably priced at just Rs 15 for a 200ml PET bottle. The drink was targeted at the health conscious younger generation. According to Amul, one of the USPs of the product was that it contained milk solids, which no other carbonated beverage in India had as an ingredient. The dairy brand also claimed that the percentage of added sugar in both the variants of the seltzer was less than in other products in the carbonated beverages segment in India. Given Amul’s maiden foray into the carbonated beverages segment with Tru Seltzer, it was expected to face some challenges such as tough competition from big players in the Indian carbonated drinks space, defining the category as seltzers were still not a distinct category in the Indian beverages market, and scaling up the brand.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the reasons behind Amul’s entry into the carbonated drinks market in India
• Analyze the marketing mix of ‘Tru Seltzer’
• Understand the dynamics and risks involved in brand extension
• Understand the challenges faced by Amul with respect to its entry into the carbonated drinks space in India
• Explore the strategies that Amul could adopt in the future to succeed in the carbonated drinks space

Keywords

Brand Extension; Marketing Mix; Brand Development; Amul Tru Seltzer; Carbonated Drinks Market; Marketing Strategy