Brands
Everybody loves the Amul girl!
MUMBAI: April was an eventful month or so for Amul, the iconic brand marketed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
On the one hand, GCMMF crossed Rs 18,000 crore in 2013-14; a jump of 32 per cent from the previous year, apart from posting the fastest growth ever for a four decade-old dairy cooperative. On the other hand however, Amul has been served legal notice by the Sahara Group for its hoarding ‘Besahara Parivar’ where Sahara employees are shown begging to collect Rs 5,000 crore for group chief Subrata Roy’s bail.
Indeed, Amul has built a reputation for its witty but unflinching stance on a wide range of issues of national importance. At the same time, it has also come under fire for force-fitting itself. Indiantelevision spoke to some industry experts for their views on the Amul brand of marketing.
“Amul advertising is today iconic in its genre. A powerful set of topical creatives gives this brand high scale visibility across a relatively small set of hoardings and selective print vehicles across the country. It can be noted that sometimes, due to the pressure of wanting new creatives, the brand has been force-fitting itself. I do believe it needs to set a standard that it will not fall below,” said Harish Bijoor Consults CEO and brand expert Harish Bijoor. According to him, the creative around the Sahara Group is a terrific one, as usual. “The brand is used to receiving legal notices I am sure. This is all part of the game”, he said.
Tata Housing head of marketing services Rajeeb Dash, pointed out that Amul has always rolled out ads that are a break-through of sorts. “Sometimes, taking a strong stance helps brands create break-through via communication strategies. Amul seems to have taken that route since a while.”
Curry-Nation founder Priti Nair, expressed the view, “Amul usually puns on something and connects it to the butter. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. I don’t think this deserves a legal notice.” For Nair, the hoardings are iconic. “Amul as a brand has used a spin on current happenings as its communication strategy. Be it other brands or cricket or politics or Bollywood. Whatever is in the news and has eyeballs, Amul always does a spin on that and nobody minds cause it is always in good spirit.”
One thing that came across was that the fraternity loves the li’l Amul girl and everything about her. No matter the challenges, she looks set to win hearts…
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
