Setting a new horizon for a women-owned dairy brand

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: Case overview/synopsis In 2023, Thimmappa Sura was appointed Chief Executive of Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company Ltd. (SMMPCL), a dairy enterprise based in Tirupati, India, that procured an average of 1.43 million lbs US per day. Within a decade, it emerged as a successful brand, owned, managed and marketed by women in Tirupati. Sura wanted to establish Shreeja as the most sought-after dairy brand in the business-to-consumer (B2C) market across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, under the identity Run by moms and Run for moms. He reflected on the company’s ambitious target sales of 0.79 million lbs US per day of liquid milk and dairy products and a turnover of US$0.27bn by 2028. Multiple thoughts crossed his mind. He contemplated the most effective way to ensure a year-round supply of fresh, pure and unadulterated milk to achieve the company’s ambitious targets. Sura faced a strategic dilemma: how should he expand the market, customer base and brand visibility? How to involve and engage existing women member suppliers as brand ambassadors. Sura understood that his decisions would play a defining role in shaping Shreeja’s trajectory of success. The case invites students to develop an appropriate marketing and communication strategy to expand the market and existing women member suppliers as brand ambassadors through a community-building framework to increase brand visibility. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for marketing management and rural management courses for first-year undergraduate students. Subject code CSS8: Marketing