a2

Re-energizing one of the pioneers in dairy innovation.

“A fantastic partnership with the Conspiracy of Love team to redefine and reignite our company Purpose. It has truly inspired and mobilized our people and ensured a strong foundation for our future growth.”

Edith Bailey, Chief Marketing Officer, a2 Milk

The brief

a2 Milk is valued at over $4 billion on the Australian Stock exchange. The brand sells its unique a2 Milk products in Australia, New Zealand, the US, and China. a2 Milk disrupted the dairy industry by discovering and successfully commercializing milk free from the A1 bet-casein protein, with proven benefits to digestive health. After a period of rapid growth, the COVID-19 pandemic shook the globe, and as a result, a2 Milk was forced to grapple with supply chain instability, trade disruptions heightened by geopolitical challenges, and increasingly discerning consumers looking for products that align with their values. These disruptions saw a2 Milk’s stock decline sharply, affecting employee morale and the company’s identity as a trailblazing innovator in the dairy space. To re-ignite the organization and set the tone for its next phase of growth, a2 was looking to define its Purpose and energize its leaders, employees, investors, partners and consumers.

a2 Milk’s high-quality product comes from cows that produce no A1 protein, only the natural A2 protein, which is easier on digestion and may help avoid some stomach discomfort.

Use the Power of Purpose to unify our company, mobilize our team, and form the foundations for our next phase of growth.

The approach

By engaging all stakeholders and analyzing global shifts in consumer behaviors, category dynamics and societal needs, we helped the company rediscover its original start-up spirit and articulate a new Purpose and Vision around it.

After launching the Purpose to employees, investors and consumers, we engaged the broader leadership team in workshops to discover their personal Purpose and explore how it can be brought to life in a way that fuels the overall company Purpose.

  • Fireside chat to educate and inspire senior leaders 

  • Global trends presentation to inspire and provoke imagination on how a2 Milk could grow 

  • Extensive audit of a2 Milk’s strategy, market environment and innovation roadmap 

  • Interviews with 20+ stakeholders and subject matter experts

  • Series of workshops and engagement sessions with a2’ Milk’s senior leadership team

  • All-employee survey

  • Articulation of Purpose statement and manifesto

  • Leadership alignment and inspiration through GPS-to-personal Purpose workshops

  • Purpose launch

The insight

Through our process we identified a2 Milk’s most differentiating organizational capabilities (we call them ‘superpowers’):

  • The company’s pioneering spirit:  a2 disrupted the dairy industry, creating an entirely new category of milk. Despite its success and growth, the brand never lost their lean and agile spirit, empowering decision-making at all levels, challenging the status quo and doing the right thing, even in the face of adversity.

  • The brand is trusted and aspirational: With a strong and loyal consumer base who genuinely feel the difference when consuming its product, a commitment to supporting farmers, and a passion for doing business with integrity, a2 has established a premium brand, able to secure strong partnerships and distribution channels, and charge an enviable premium.

  • The brand is an expert in A2 dairy protein: Having successfully discovered and commercialized A1-free milk, with proven benefits to digestive health, a2 maintains an edge in dairy science and innovation, unmatched even by much larger competitors in the dairy space.  

To determine how these unique organizational superpowers can enable a2 to create a positive impact on society and its business, we explored the specific societal needs where a2 can create unique value:

  • Healthy and tasty nutrition: With malnutrition on the rise, there is a growing global need for quality nutrition. With the global population set to grow exponentially, this demand for accessible nutrition will only increase.

  • A1-free dairy for better health outcomes: There are billions of people who avoid milk or dairy due to digestive issues, meaning they miss out on the positive benefits of dairy. A2 milk provides a solution to many who would otherwise not have been able to consume dairy. 

  • Nutritional support at life’s most critical stages: Milk is a critical source of nutrition at birth, during childhood and at elderly life stages, meaning a2 is well positioned to help provide the nutrition needed to support a thriving life at these critical stages.

The work

Purpose

Vision

Manifesto

It isn’t easy to be a pioneer.

It takes courage to be the one out in front, blazing a path for others to follow. It takes guts to speak the hard truths, even when the whole world is stacked against you.

At a2, being a pioneer is how this company started. Staying true to our conviction that A2 milk was better for everyone and pioneering a new approach to dairy led to us disrupting the entire industry - and winning legions of loyal customers.

It's time to return to our pioneering roots because that’s what the world needs now. The problems of the future won’t be solved using the tools of the past.

It takes a pioneering mindset to lead us to the right solutions. The drive to push boundaries further and further. The imagination to build the impossible. The courage to lead the way into the unknown.

With 10 billion people projected to live on this planet by 2050, we need to pioneer new ways to nourish as many of them as possible in ways that regenerates and heals the earth at the same time.

We need to pioneer ways to balance the needs of all the consumers out there who are returning to milk because of the power of A2 - while also pioneering how we support the dairy farmers who are our partners, and the welfare of the animals that are at the core of our business.

So it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. To find our pioneering spirit again, and create a company that is not just better for the dairy industry - but better for our world and everyone who lives in it.