SABMiller reshapes brand proposition to better tap female market
SABMiller, makers of Peroni and Grolsch, is looking to tap into the female demographic of beer drinkers in a bid to appeal to more consumers through innovation and challenging traditional perceptions of beer.
The brewer acknowledged that the overhaul will take time, but said that it aims to capitalise on previous efforts, such as strengthening its core lager brands and expanding its portfolios into new areas like flavoured beers and ciders.
SABMiller will to look to target six different moments, including family occasions such as BBQs, mixed gender casual parties, meals, evening meals, colleagues socialisng and men coming together in bars.
Nick Fell, marketing director, said that beer currently has the largest value share at 28 per cent of the global packaged beverages universe, and that SABmiller will tap into this by activating a long-term strategy using deep local consumer insights to identify occasions where beer is underrepresented.
“We know there’s untapped potential in beer and it’s time to change the image of beer as just a drink for guys watching sport. Why shouldn’t beer be a great choice with food or something that has much more appeal for women?
“Achieving this will take time but it can be done. Just look at coffee. What was previously a one-dimensional drink has become everything from an inexpensive cup of instant at home to a premium-priced speciality drink in a coffee shop with a huge range of exotic flavours and styles. We have the same opportunity and vision for beer.”
The strategy will include positioning of new and existing styles of beer, brands and packaging, with a focus on premiumisation. Investments in the drive will partly be funded by cost-cutting measures, which are set to free up $500m by March 2018.