Müller (company)
Encyclopedia
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller (often called Müllermilch or simply Müller) is a multinational
producer of dairy products, with a headquarters in Fischach
in the German
state of Bavaria
. The group includes a number of companies operating under the Müller name, including the original Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG and Müller Dairy (U.K.). It is best known for its range of yoghurt
s, including the trademark Müller Corner yoghurt.
In addition to the companies operating under the Müller name, the group wholly or partly owns the Molkerei Weihenstephan, Sachsenmilch and Käserei Loose dairy companies in Germany, and the Mlékárna Pragolaktos dairy in the Czech Republic
. A number of ancillary marketing and transport companies are also owned.
Beside the group headquarters in Fischach, which also houses the Molkerei Alois Müller production plant, the group also operates significant production sites in Freising
(Molkerei Weihenstephan), Leppersdorf (Sachsenmilch and Käserei Loose), Market Drayton
(Müller Dairy (U.K.)), and Prague
(Mlékárna Pragolaktos). Müller made a net turnover of €
2.1 billion in 2006 and has 5,400 employees.
Müller Corner (German: Joghurt mit der Ecke, lit. Yoghurt with the corner) are a range of yoghurt
s. There are three main varieties: Fruit, Healthy Balance and Crunch!. Within each of these divisions, a number of flavours are produced, for instance Fruit Corners are available in Blackberry & Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach & Apricot, Raspberry and Strawberry flavours. The name "corner" is in reference to the design of the product. In many of the varieties the yoghurt is plain and unflavoured. It comes with an attached portion of 'flavour', fruit compote for example, to add to the plain yoghurt.
Müllerice (German: Müller Reis) is a creamy rice pudding
based snack usually containing an additional flavoured sauce, such as apple
, raspberry
or caramel
. Müllerice is sold in a plastic pot, and can be eaten cold or heated in a microwave oven
. It is marketed as being a healthy, filling and energy providing snack. Only available in Germany until 1989, it was introduced to the UK and is now widely available.
Müllerlight is a brand of low fat
yoghurt
. Popular flavours include strawberry
, toffee
and apricot
. Müller Light contains gelatine to enable the product to gel, but as a result the yoghurt is not suitable for vegetarians; Müller reports that they are looking for a vegetarian alternative to gelatine .
Müller Little Stars are aimed at young children and marketed as being made of very few ingredients and being 100% natural.
Müller Vitality is a range of probiotic
yoghurts and yoghurt drinks.
Müller Amore is a luxury yoghurt range containing Greek honey.
campaign via television
in the UK. Featuring "Ain't Got No, I Got Life
" by Nina Simone
, it focused on people dancing and smiling whilst eating Müller yoghurts. In 2007 Müller introduced new TV advertisements with the slogan
"lick the lid of life". In 2008 Müller released a new advert featuring their Shropshire
-based factory, still using the Nina Simone song, and emphasising the closeness of supply from the surrounding area of its factory in Market Drayton
; "24 hours from farm to yoghurt".
In 2011, Müller launched a new slogan, "Wünderful Stuff". This was backed by a new advertising campaign which featured a "Müllerbot", K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider
and people being turned into popular cartoon characters from past and present, including Yogi Bear
, Muttley
and the Mr. Men
(the latter in their classic forms as opposed to their Mr. Men Show looks). The advert first aired on 8 October on ITV1, during that night's edition of The X Factor
.
Müller was the main shirt sponsor for English
football club Aston Villa as part of a two-year deal from 1993 until 1995, during which time they won the Football League Cup
. The sponsorship ended when the club accepted a sponsorship offer from AST Research
.
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
producer of dairy products, with a headquarters in Fischach
Fischach
Fischach is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany.-Geography:Fischach is situated in the "Naturpark Westliche Wälder" south of Augsburg...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
state of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The group includes a number of companies operating under the Müller name, including the original Molkerei Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG and Müller Dairy (U.K.). It is best known for its range of yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
s, including the trademark Müller Corner yoghurt.
In addition to the companies operating under the Müller name, the group wholly or partly owns the Molkerei Weihenstephan, Sachsenmilch and Käserei Loose dairy companies in Germany, and the Mlékárna Pragolaktos dairy in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. A number of ancillary marketing and transport companies are also owned.
Beside the group headquarters in Fischach, which also houses the Molkerei Alois Müller production plant, the group also operates significant production sites in Freising
Freising
Freising is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district Freising. Total population 48,500.The city is located north of Munich at the Isar river, near the Munich International Airport...
(Molkerei Weihenstephan), Leppersdorf (Sachsenmilch and Käserei Loose), Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
(Müller Dairy (U.K.)), and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(Mlékárna Pragolaktos). Müller made a net turnover of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
2.1 billion in 2006 and has 5,400 employees.
Products
Müller produces a substantial number of popular yoghurt brands, including Müllerlight, Müllerice, Yogz and Müller Corner.Müller Corner (German: Joghurt mit der Ecke, lit. Yoghurt with the corner) are a range of yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
s. There are three main varieties: Fruit, Healthy Balance and Crunch!. Within each of these divisions, a number of flavours are produced, for instance Fruit Corners are available in Blackberry & Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach & Apricot, Raspberry and Strawberry flavours. The name "corner" is in reference to the design of the product. In many of the varieties the yoghurt is plain and unflavoured. It comes with an attached portion of 'flavour', fruit compote for example, to add to the plain yoghurt.
Müllerice (German: Müller Reis) is a creamy rice pudding
Rice pudding
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and sometimes other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. Different variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar.-Rice pudding around the world:Rice...
based snack usually containing an additional flavoured sauce, such as apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
or caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
. Müllerice is sold in a plastic pot, and can be eaten cold or heated in a microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
. It is marketed as being a healthy, filling and energy providing snack. Only available in Germany until 1989, it was introduced to the UK and is now widely available.
Müllerlight is a brand of low fat
Diet food
Diet food refers to any food or drink whose recipe has been altered in some way to make it part of a body modification diet...
yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
. Popular flavours include strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, toffee
Toffee
Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 300 to 310 °F...
and apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
. Müller Light contains gelatine to enable the product to gel, but as a result the yoghurt is not suitable for vegetarians; Müller reports that they are looking for a vegetarian alternative to gelatine .
Müller Little Stars are aimed at young children and marketed as being made of very few ingredients and being 100% natural.
Müller Vitality is a range of probiotic
Probiotic
Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host"...
yoghurts and yoghurt drinks.
Müller Amore is a luxury yoghurt range containing Greek honey.
Advertising
In 2006, Müller launched a popular advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign via television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the UK. Featuring "Ain't Got No, I Got Life
Ain't Got No, I Got Life
"Ain't Got No/I Got Life" is a 2:17 single by the American songwriter Nina Simone. The song also featured on Nuff Said . It is a medley of two songs from the musical Hair, with lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot...
" by Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, it focused on people dancing and smiling whilst eating Müller yoghurts. In 2007 Müller introduced new TV advertisements with the slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
"lick the lid of life". In 2008 Müller released a new advert featuring their Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
-based factory, still using the Nina Simone song, and emphasising the closeness of supply from the surrounding area of its factory in Market Drayton
Market Drayton
Market Drayton is a small market town in north Shropshire, England. It is on the River Tern, between Shrewsbury and Stoke-on-Trent, and was formerly known as "Drayton in Hales" and earlier simply as "Drayton" ....
; "24 hours from farm to yoghurt".
In 2011, Müller launched a new slogan, "Wünderful Stuff". This was backed by a new advertising campaign which featured a "Müllerbot", K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider
Knight Rider
Knight Rider is an American television series that originally ran from September 26, 1982, to August 8, 1986. The series was broadcast on NBC and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a high-tech modern-day knight fighting crime with the help of an advanced, artificially intelligent and...
and people being turned into popular cartoon characters from past and present, including Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
, Muttley
Muttley
Muttley is a Hanna-Barbera animated fictional character created by Iwao Takamoto and originally voiced by Don Messick. In the 2000 Wacky Races videogame he was voiced by Billy West.-Bio:...
and the Mr. Men
Mr. Men
Mr. Men is a series of 49 children's books by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971. Two of these books were not published in English. The series features characters with names such as Mr. Tickle and Mr. Happy who have personalities based on their names...
(the latter in their classic forms as opposed to their Mr. Men Show looks). The advert first aired on 8 October on ITV1, during that night's edition of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
.
Müller was the main shirt sponsor for English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football club Aston Villa as part of a two-year deal from 1993 until 1995, during which time they won the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. The sponsorship ended when the club accepted a sponsorship offer from AST Research
AST Research
AST Research, Inc. was a personal computer manufacturer, founded in Irvine, California in 1980 by Albert Wong, Safi Qureshey and Thomas Yuen. AST's original business was the manufacture and marketing of a broad range of microcomputer expansion cards, later focusing on higher-density replacements...
.