Milk Bikis is one of the oldest brands from Britannia’s product portfolio. Ali Harris Shere, Director (Marketing), Britannia Industries Limited, and a long-time hand at the company, discusses here how Milk Bikis has survived the test of time and emerged a popular proposition among many a household. Excerpts:
What is the total biscuit market size in India?
For 2015-16, A.C. Nielsen estimated the biscuit market size to be more than Rs.25,435 crore (annual NSV) and 2.39 million tonnes. Britannia is the market leader in terms of Value Market Share.
Under what category does Milk Bikis fall?
Milk Bikis is categorized under the ‘Milk Biscuits’ segment, where it is the market leader among players such as Horlicks Biscuits, Parle Milk Shakti and Sunfeast Milk Magic . Milk Bikis is a biscuit that caters to the nutritional needs of young kids, straddling both health and taste aspects.
What is the size of this in the total biscuit market?
In FY 2015-16, milk biscuits segment clocked Rs.1,126 crore, contributing to 4.4 per cent of the total biscuit sale for the year 2015-16. In certain states such as Tamil Nadu, the sales of the segment to total biscuit sale is as high as 21 per cent.
What is the size of Milk Bikis (in terms of sales)?
Milk Bikis dominates the milk biscuit segment with more than 60 per cent share of this segment, nationally. Since 1978, when it was first introduced, Milk Bikis has consistently provided biscuits made of the highest quality, filled with essential nutrition that a growing child needs. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that in a lot of households Milk Bikis with a glass of milk is the only way in which a mother is able to get her child to consume milk.
What is the growth rate?
For FY 2015-16, while the milk biscuits segment grew at only 4 per cent, Milk Bikis grew at a rate of 15 per cent, thereby gaining further share in a segment it already dominates.
At which of its price points Milk Bikis is sold the most? And why?
Keeping in mind the various occasions and varied needs of consumers, Milk Bikis comes in a range - from Rs.5 to Rs.32.
Milk Bikis dominates all price points that it offers to consumers. Tamil Nadu is the biggest state for Milk Bikis, where it commands a market share of over 87 per cent in the milk biscuits segment
Why is that more people consume it in Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu would feature in the Top 5 states for most of our brands. However for Milk Bikis, the love that it enjoys from consumers in Tamil Nadu is something else completely. Through the extensive consumer connect sessions we do in the state, we have come to know that Milk Bikis is trusted by moms as the first solid food that an infant is ever fed; the faith that mothers place in Milk Bikis is really quite unparalleled. While the need for having a milk biscuit stemmed from the fact that Tamil Nadu has been historically a milk-deficient state. Now when the state is no more milk deficient too, Milk Bikis is still an integral part of their lives.
Is there any economic reason for it? Or, is price the lone reason?
Neither actually. It began when the state was a milk deficient state and mothers had to look for alternatives to milk for their children. Over a period of time, even though the milk supply situation improved, the love for Milk Bikis only grew. That it provided growing children with the vital nutrition they required – vitamin, calcium etc. was very important to mothers and thus it has been for generations now. Children who grew up consuming Milk Bikis make sure they feed it to their children now.
How is it marketed in Tamil Nadu, especially, and India, in general?
While the communication has changed with times, Milk Bikis has maintained a very consistent brand proposition over the last 4 decades. It has always spoken to mothers of young kids in the age group of 6-14 years of age, impressing upon them the need for providing the right nutrition during the formative years and that a glass of milk with Milk Bikis goes a long way in doing just that.
What is the way forward?
We have just introduced a new communication campaign for Milk Bikis. We believe good habits are formed early in life, and habits make a person. Hence, it is important that one adopts good habits early in life for a successful future. To us, a glass of milk and Milk Bikis are just as good a habit as playing and studying every day.
What is the cumulative sale of this brand - over decades?
That would be very tough to calculate. However, what would interest us would be the number of households we would have touched, and the cumulative trust we have gained over these last 4 decades. Not many brands can boast of an annual household penetration of 90 per cent in a state, like we have in Tamil Nadu. To be a part of almost every childhood in a state for close to 4 decades gives us immense satisfaction and also a sense of responsibility that we are well aware of.
How many times was this brand refreshed in the past?
To the best of my knowledge, Milk Bikis has seen 6 brand refreshes over the last 38 years. However, the brand proposition has stayed consistent over all these years. Brand refreshes are important for keeping pace with changing consumer environment. The brand has championed children’s growth over the last 4 decades and communicated on various planks; whether Future Minds or through our association with Pasanga 2 movie and movie star Suriya, the core proposition has stayed the same.
Does it refurbishment now that it is a strong sales item?
Milk Bikis has always been a best-seller, so to speak. The refurbishment is carried out to keep the brand in touch with the evolving consumer and with changing times, staying relevant is key. Sure, it has an impact on sales, but the refurbishment is carried out to continue to have a meaning in the consumer’s lives.
