Marketing Strategies / Strategic Marketing Case Study

Making Milk ‘Cool’

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Abstract:

The case deals with milk losing its appeal among the school children and the increasing preference to soft drinks in the US. A study conducted in schools in the St. Louis area, highlighted the popularity of flavored milk and packages with attractive graphics. After the study, there was an increase in the school milk consumption, but the dilemma is whether this increase in consumption can be sustained for a longer period of time, especially when the soft drink consumption among children has reached alarming rates in the US. Further schools in the US are tied in long term contracts to supply a particular brand of soft drink. In return the schools received lump sum cash, furniture, computers, scholarship amounts and sponsorships to various school events. This is reason enough for the schools to enter into exclusive contracts with soft drink companies. In such a situation, can milk be made ‘cool’ for school children?

The case also highlights the ill-effects of soft drinks and also the efforts of various organizations to increase the consumption of milk. The case brings in the efforts of various organisations to brand milk in the past such as the ‘got milk?’ campaign and other events to popularise milk among school children.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To analyse whether a total ban on soft drinks at school can increase the school milk consumption
• To understand the marketing lessons the dairy industry can learn from the cola manufacturers
• To know what the schools can do to make milk cool.

Keywords : Marketing, Dairy Industry, got milk? Marketing Strategies Case Study, Dairy industry, milk, soft drink, cola, soda, promotion, Advertising, school consumption, USDA Ethics, Food & nutrition, Health