Jamshedpur: Medha Dairy is launching a publicity blitzkrieg at an estimated cost of over Rs 2 crore, the first time since it launched operations in 2014, to make its presence felt in a market that is now flooded with private players.

The milk and milk products brand belongs to Jharkhand State Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation, which is popularly referred to as Jharkhand Milk Federation (JMF) and is a joint initiative of the state government and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

"We are in the final phase of finalising private agencies that will print, fabricate and install publicity material like glow signboards, shop boards, flex, standees, vinyl pasting, banners, danglers, wall/shop/vehicle paintings and hiring of hoardings, pole kiosks. We are also identifying high visibility strategic locations like bus terminuses, railway stations and popular roads, for putting up the advertising material," said Medha GM Narendra Sharma, adding that the process would begin late this month or early August.

A senior official in the marketing team admitted that while Medha has a market share of 25 per cent, Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation (Comfed), which markets products under the Sudha brand, enjoys 60 per cent market share. Private firms like Osam, Dairy Plus and Cream Bell enjoy a 20 per cent market presence.

Sharma admitted the marketing push was long overdue, especially when a number of private players were grabbing market share.

"The ad blitzkrieg has been delayed due to the re-launch of the new Medha logo in April this year. However, we are gearing up with a never-seen-before publicity drive. We will be going all out. Within few months, the Medha brand will be known across Jharkhand, at least in major cities," he said.

Significantly, the new Medha logo has elements of palash, koel and a drop of milk to indicate freshness and ensure a Jharkhand connect among buyers. Medha offers fortified and homogenised milk, ghee, paneer, lassi, dahi and misti dahi, all of which are sold in 21 of 24 districts of the state.

With a consumer base of over 2 lakh, Medha uses the services of over 20,000 milk producers. It has a 1.2 lakh-litre capacity processing plant at Hotwar, Ranchi. Two more milk processing centres are operational in Koderma (12,000 litre capacity) and Latehar (10,000 litre capacity).

Its Deogarh plant, with a capacity of 20,000 litres, was renovated earlier this year.

Customers were happy when told of Medha's publicity drive.

"It is difficult to identify Medha products. We even find it difficult to locate retailers as there are hardly any banners or hoardings on shops. Hopefully, now things will change. We have been using Medha products for long... they are at par with products of big players like Amul," said Mango resident Shiv Pujan Singh.