Things may have died down since the consumer backlash against big milk in Australia following Whaleed Aly’s piece on the project in May but I think we’re starting to see some of the effects in our Milk isle still today. While there was a immediate response with branded independent milk been cleaned out and the supermarket’s own brands been left of the self in a heart warming demonstration of solidarity to our dairy farmers. It’s interesting to see balance returning to market and the appearance of new value brands in the market.

I think this is something we will see happen more and more as consumers start to flex their social and financial muscles by blackballing brands they feel aren’t living up to expected community or business standards. As big brands find themselves excluded from markets they will start to create discreet isolated brands to market a product free of the parents brand baggage. This is already happening with beer, where community themed brands are being set up to tap a market while existing in a void about who and where the brand is actually from, Coburg Larger, I’m looking at you.

I see the same thing happening with Milk. The duopolists will create, or have created for them, Milk brands that will appear to be independent but are actually produced by the same dairy’s deliberately mudding the waters for consumers as to which brands they should buy. Watch this space.

Derek Carroll

Derek is the Creative Partner at Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in creating beautiful, effective and unique brand identities that bring strategy to life and resonate with audiences. Derek has extensive experience developing consumer, business, community and government brands.
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