Olpers vs. Milkpak

As I turn on the TV and tune into Pakistani channels these days, practically after every few minutes I see Olpers commercial, with Milkpak commercial following it. Then again Olpers; again Milkpak and this sequence run for almost 3 minutes.  From this back to back advertisement crossfire of two top brands of Pakistani milk industry I sense a new deadly competition coming up between them.  One needs a lot of potential do get into this kind of wars and in my opinion both of them, being equally well, are giving a hard time to each other.

Has anyone thought what made them get engaged in such an activity? What do they want out of it? That is obvious, more customers, greater market share.  But doesn’t Milkpak already have the largest market share, with Olpers getting closer to it with an outstanding progress within last 4 years. Besides, any type of marketing move ultimately affects the share, either adversely or favorably.

 An ideal advertisement is meant to fascinate the targeted consumer and convince him in the most amazing way to buy the product- is the general perception of the ideal advertisement. However, the companies and the brands frequently use this tool and each time for a different purpose. Educating the customers about a new feature of the brand, teaching them a new way of using it, or familiarizing them with a new situation in which they can use it, are a few of the reasons why ad campaigns or TV commercials are run.

In Oplers vs. Milkpak case, it looks more of a trust building exercise in which the brands are trying to once again connect with the consumers as strongly as they can. It is neither about the added feature nor about the new direction of using milk. The theme of both the recent commercials is quite similar; bringing family values to the top, depicting strength and unity, showing family bonds and giving life to every occasion whether it is a hiking trip or a birthday celebration.

According to a research for the Brand Audit of Olpers done by the students of Fast Business School  -NUCES Lahore (March 2011), people recall Olpers TV commercial the most over other competing brands in the market. This proves that Olpers has actually been successful in positioning itself smoothly into the market and building a clear perception. Where on one side there is Olpers trying to pull the viewers towards itself, Milkpak on the other side is managing the best to keep its position up. It is like both of the brands are having a race on a single track and none of them is willing to give up on anything.

If the trends remain the same for a couple of years, there is a possibility that both of these brand come neck to neck in terms of market share, sweeping other brands away from the race. But then you never know, a rival can be born anytime to lit the fire all over again.  

Retail Magnetism

Everyone has an intimate love and a veiled urge for shopping; which, if never forced to wake up, would remain as a cloudy vision of a day dream and one would never be able to gather enough perspective to apprehend the satisfaction one can have by grasping the crackling new bags. The feeling of gazing at the sparkling items and magical goods makes one realize how desperate one was to shop.

Here I would like to introduce a concept of Magnetism. Magnetism is a profound connection of a store with its precious customers. There are multiple ways to create it, to gain a bunch of valuable and constructive customers. It can be generated in their minds, enhanced and kept consistent through out the life of the store.

A retailer has to make sure that people who check into the stores are really the ones that need to be targeted. While spreading the spell of magnetism, the customers have to be sifted according to the retail strategy of the store and entertained at a level commensurate with their priority. A true retailer cannot afford to let unhappy faces out of the store and that is what all his efforts revolve around. Keeping a decent range and hitting the price and quality combination at its best would help a store stand out in myriad competitors. The rest depends upon the ambiance, which has the power to disappoint a customer. Not making the store window beautiful BUT letting it portray what the store is all about and making it as intriguing as possible for everyone who sees it, is one of the features of magnetism creation by ambiance. A window is just like a movie review, possessing the potential ability to grasp the interest of the shoppers till they end up making a purchase. The store should be capable enough to depict its true self in each and every tiny element that it carries. The complete appearance of the store - including the temperature, color theme, assortment, design, store bags etc - add bliss to the whole shopping experience. Last but not least a well-matched, dynamic and welcoming storekeeper is just like a cherry on the top!