ice cream maker CAST STUDY  solution

Read the case given below and answer the questions given at the end of the case.

MDL, India's third-largest ice cream maker, has chalked out a strategy to expand in the Southern states, which account for a fourth of the Rs. 2,000-Crore (Rs. 20,000 million) domestic market, to sustain its growth rate. Aiming to garner a 20% market share by 2014, "expansion in southern markets would help maintain a growth rate of 30% a year across the country. Apart from multinational brands and home grown players, the southern market also has local players. When it entered Bangalore last year, it aimed at 10% share in the local ice cream market of Rs. 130 crore (Rs. 1,300 million) in two years. The company could achieve it in the first year itself thanks to their brand image and strong supply chain. This gave the company hope to achieve similar penetration in Hyderabad and Chennai. MDL, which had reported Rs. 300 Crore (Rs. 3,000 million) sales in year 2012, claims a share of around 18% in the Indian ice cream market. For its expansion in the region, MDL plans to tie-up with local retail majors and focus on corporate for institutional sales, apart from using its own milk outlets network. Besides it is also looking at setting up an ice-cream manufacturing facility in the south. Having entered the Hyderabad market in January 2013, MDL is now poised to expand into another southern city namely Chennai, in the next couple of months.

Questions :

(a) Propose a detailed Marketing Communication plan for MDL in light of its ambitious expansion plans in the region.

(b) Suggest and justify suitable media selection process and evaluate various media options.