A Measured View (Nov)

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a measured view

global brands, growing choice

LIQUID ASSETS, A MEASURED VIEW, NOVEMBER 2006, COMMENTS

As I write this, the Home Secretary is setting out plans to limit the number of workers coming to Britain from Bulgaria and Romania when the countries join the EU next year. This is the latest development in an on-running debate about access to the UK for workers from central and Eastern Europe. Should our domestic beer producers be considering a campaign to whip the Daily Mail in to a similar frenzy about the influx of beers from these states into the country - taking press shelf space in the fridge? Probably not.

Ours is, of course, a global industry with venue concepts leaping from continent to continent (the ubiquitous Irish bar), operators setting up in far flung corners (Ministry of Sound, Singapore) or leading expeditions to festivals across the globe (Creamfields, Uruguay), while drinks brands move from one market to the next - often taking the opportunity to reposition as they go.

This presents us with an ever shifting range of venues and drinks meaning more and more choice for the consumer while requiring both producers and retailers to study the form in a crowded field and then decide which brands to back. Is that Peruvian ale the next Magners? Or will you find that UK drinkers are not yet ready for mango flavoured beer? (Yes, I made this example up. No, I will not be surprised if someone writes in to say that Mango Picchu is selling well in bars across Cleckheaton).

As a result, today’s customers will often be surprised by the options presented to them when they step up to the bar. This will normally be a pleasant surprise unless, like me, you attend a wedding reception in Middlesbrough only to discover that while 95,503 venues across the UK feel it appropriate (if not essential) to stock Guinness, the operators of this hotel bar thought otherwise. I had far more success in New York where, as well as a crop of excellent craft brews such as Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout, I was met by a Guinness sign on every corner, closely followed by the famous old Bass red triangle. Stand out moment of the trip had to be the four storey high Newcastle Brown advertisement in Times Square, good to see the Toon brand at the self-proclaimed ‘centre of the universe’.

Finally, a recent field trip to Manchester highlighted the magnitude of the choice available at the bar today. Across the course of one night, we visited nine different venues (from high style to dodgy karaoke) and enjoyed nine different beers (from Kasteel Cru in refined surroundings to ice cold Corona ankle deep in grunge). As punters, we were spoilt for choice. But how exactly are suppliers supposed to build brand loyalty in this climate?

Words: Jon Collins

From: November 2006 Issue

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