Bulla Dairy Foods has launched a new series of advertisements as part of a new campaign that dwarfs all previous campaigns in the company’s entire 105-year history.
The Victorian dairy company has been owned by the same three families for six generations, and its ‘unfakeable’ campaign aims to better promote this heritage and resulting product authenticity.
Compared to the multinationals it competes with in most categories, Bulla is a small player in dairy, and this, combined with pressure from Australia’s major retailers, has placed the company under unprecedented pressure, explains Bulla general manager, marketing and innovation Nick Hickford.
So a year ago, the company’s board agreed that if the Victorian dairy company wanted to remain a long term player, it would have had to invest in the brand in a way that would take things to the next level in terms of awareness and engagement with consumers.
“So with that in mind, we asked ‘what is it about us that makes us special? Why would people support a brand like Bulla?” says Hickford. “At the heart of it all for us is that we’ve got three families who have owned and grown the business for 105 years and everything they’ve done is about making great tasting dairy without taking shortcuts, and doing it on the cheap for profit margins as the pressure from retailers grows."
Hickford says Bulla differs from many of its larger competitors, who have removed many of the “real” ingredients out of their products over time in order to stay financially viable.
He says if you take a closer look at the ice cream section, you’ll see that many mainstream products list their number one ingredient as water, and their number two ingredient as milk powder.
“Our number one ingredient is fresh milk, and our number two is cream. It always has been, but we haven’t communicated the fact that when you’re feeding your family Bulla, you’re feeding them real ingredients, Hickford says.
As is often the case, however, it took a team of outsiders to help Bulla identify this as one of its greatest assets.
“We briefed a number of ad agencies to pitch ideas and a number asked to travel to Colac and look at the factory. They all said the thing that makes you special is your people and the way you create the products. It’s different to other dairy manufacturers, and so that’s where we got unfakeable,” Hickford says.
The commercials were filmed in the brand’s hometown of Colac, Victoria, and they feature a number of staff and local families who have become the faces of the campaign, which includes TV, digital and outdoor.
“It’s been really good for our business in Colac to show that level of support for the town. We’ve had a great response from locals and staff, whether they are in the ads or not. It’s really boosted morale,” says Hickford.
“We are getting fantastic feedback from media agencies and retailers, but I’ve got to say that most of all, we’ve had great feedback from our staff. They are our harshest critics and we’ve had a hard time for the last couple of years.”
The TV ads also feature Aussie icons: the voice of Michael Caton, and music by INXS, performed by Deborah Conway, in keeping with the unfakeable theme.
Six different ads were produced, each promoting different products in the Bulla brand portfolio. The first two ads feature the company’s hero products: ice cream and cream, and the company is also launching four new products, including Greek-style frozen yoghurt, and spreadable cheese, on the back of the campaign.
The digital campaign actually adapts according to the weather, says Hickford.
“If it reaches a certain temperature in a particular state and it’s not raining, the ad shows. Even though we are over 100 years old, and we are traditional in how we make our products, we are still trying new things in media.”
Hickford says that it’s great to see a company like Bulla recognise that discounting won't build brand growth.
“You need a level of commitment to support a brand like Bulla and make it mean something to consumers,” he says.
NEW DELIVERY
Bulla's product innovation continues apace and at the end of last year, the company released a single-serve ice cream dispensing system for foodservice outlets called Bulla Real Dairy Soft. The machine uses pod technology to dispense Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla flavours at the press of a button, and the process involves no cleaning.
More than 120 units have been installed so far in foodservice venues across Australia.
“The versatility and convenience of this product will provide a benefit to our commercial accounts, who are looking for a no-fuss and no-waste solution,” Bulla’s marketing and innovation manager Nick Hickford says.
The pod system was recently named the winner of the Foodservice Product of the Year 2015 in the Frozen category at the Foodservice Industry Australia Awards of Excellence.
