Abstract

This case study “Amul Girl: Staying Relevant in the Digital Age” is about the “Amul Girl”, the moppet used by the Anand Milk Union Ltd’s (Amul) for brand promotion and advertisement. The Amul Girl had been the face of Amul since 1966 and was considered the longest running advertising campaign in Indian advertising. The case traces the journey of the Amul Girl since inception and lists her crisp and witty takes on Indian and world events, with amusing slogans being used for Amul’s brand promotion and product advertisement. The case also describes how Amul used its moppet in different mediums like the radio (1976), television commercials (since 1976 and a fresh start in 1994), and social media like Facebook (2014), Twitter (2014), and YouTube (2014), to increase the engagement rates of its users. It also describes the challenges faced by Amul in using the Amul Girl to connect with the millennial, lack of refreshing content on digital media, and Amul’s no celebrity endorsement policy. The case concludes with the steps taken by Amul to be relevant and the launch of its new media strategy.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• How a fictional character can be effectively utilized for a company’s brand promotion
• How the wit and humor of a fictional character can be used for product promotion
• How a company’s sales and revenue can be enhanced with minimal spends on advertisement and promotional activities
• The challenges faced by FMCG brands in connecting with millennials
• How FMCG brands need to take a relook at their advertising strategy in the face of increasing penetration of digital media

Keywords

Advertising; Sales Promotion; Amul Girl; Millennial; Branding; Brand Promotion; FMCG; Amul; Marketing Strategy; Brand Strategy; Celebrity Endorsement; Media Strategy; Mascot; Topical Advertisements; GCMMF