A Purabi hoarding in Guwahati

Guwahati, July 20: Purabi, which aspires to be Assam’s very own Amul, is going the way of its role model.

Inspired by Amul’s mantra for success, the manufacturer of Purabi dairy products has adopted the aggressive marketing strategy of the country’s best-known brand in this sector.

The striking feature of the new strategy is the decision to introduce an animated cartoon character, a la Amul, as Purabi’s brand ambassador. The West Assam Milk Producers Co-operative Union Ltd, which owns the brand, plans to hold a competition among its customers soon to find a suitable name for the cartoon character.

Jiyauddin Choudhury, managing director of the co-operative union, said Purabi was aiming at a “white revolution” by launching new products to woo health-conscious customers and expand its “traditional” market base.

“We will hold a contest among our consumers to find a name for the cartoon character, our brand ambassador.,” he said.

The firm will start marketing vacuum-packed paneer within a month. The product, having a shelf life of 15-20 days, will be distributed across the Northeast.

Two other new products in the pipeline are flavoured milk in 200 ml bottles and ghee in tetrapacks. These are expected to hit the shelves within the next two months. For the health-conscious, a skimmed (fat-free) milk called Tea Special will be launched in 50 ml poly-pouches.

The high-fat toned milk will be called Life and the low-fat, double-toned milk Joy.

“We are targeting two segments — people with heart problems and high cholesterol and tea and coffee drinkers. We are also trying to create awareness about the nutritional value of our products and the harmful effects of adulterated milk,” Choudhury said.

The co-operative has already begun putting up billboards and distributing brochures as part of the awareness drive. It has set up a website, too. “Gauhati Municipal Corporation has allowed us to put up hoardings in front of all government offices for free. We will soon retail from Sualkuchi, Nalbari, Rangiya and Mirza,” Choudhury said.