Emotional Engagement as the catalyst for Brand growth. Milkpak: a case study

Understanding Consumer Psychology

Reviving a fading brand poses considerable challenges, particularly when the root causes of its decline are deeply entrenched in the psychological bond between consumers and the brand.

While we often discuss consumer emotions, understanding the intricate psychological dynamics within the consumer-brand relationship is paramount.

Milk Pak’s journey: Navigating market changes

Take the case of Milk Pak, Pakistan's pioneer in UHT milk, which once dominated the market due to its early entry advantage. However, with the proliferation of competing products and price wars, Milk Pak began losing ground, succumbing to market commoditization.

Nestlé, recognizing the need for differentiation and premium positioning, engaged The Marketing Clinic to unearth an emotional positioning for Milk Pak amidst stiff competition.

Tradition meets Modernity

To comprehend the Pakistani milk market, one must grasp its traditional production and distribution system. Milk originates from individual producers, often rural families owning livestock like buffalo, cows, and goats. These families gather the milk, which is then pooled together at village collection points before being transported in non-temperature-controlled lorries to urban centers.

The Daily Ritual

For Pakistani families, obtaining milk is a daily ritual, with the responsibility typically falling on the wife or mother. She buys the milk, sterilizes it, and divides it for various household needs, a task symbolizing familial care and duty.

When queried about their milk-related experiences, women commonly express frustration and distrust toward the supply chain. The variability in milk composition and quality affects not only tea preparation but also their perceived roles as wives and mothers. Admitting a desire to avoid this chore is akin to confessing negligence in familial duties.

Embracing Innovation

Despite resistance from traditionalists, modern alternatives like UHT milk offer consistent quality and convenience, alleviating the burdensome routine of traditional milk handling. Positioning UHT milk as a positive health choice for children, as well as the rest of the family, it converts even staunch traditionalists toward acceptance.

Research further revealed an ideal taste profile for Milk Pak, aligning with consumers' health aspirations.

Leveraging Emotional Resonance.

Understanding the practical and emotional significance of UHT milk in consumers' lives enabled tailored messaging that resonated with their values and needs, driving loyalty.

Implementation of our recommendations made a significant difference to the fortunes of the brand as you can see from this comment from the brand manager at that time.

"We at Nestle were at a fix: Our biggest dairy brand, and the market leader for Pakistan's UHT Milk market of nearly 250M USD, experienced rapid market share decline. While the category's decline and market dynamics played their part, we struggled to find ways to revive the iconic brand and steer it in the direction for growth. At this point, we went back to the basics and focused on our product and our key proposition as the leading milk brand. As the Consumer Insights Manager at the time, I got in touch with Chris at Marketing Clinic to help us better understand our core proposition based on sound research. The result, though a mere 3 word statement, was phenomenal. It resulted in an increase in ‘Repurchase’ by 400 in the brand tracker and Market Share by 1000 basis points within a span of 3 months, despite continuing category decline." Danyal Syed Ali, Nestlé Pakistan

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Chris Lukehurst is a Consumer Psychologist and a Director at The Marketing Clinic:

Providing Clarity on the Psychological relationships between consumers and brands