TIME FOR BEER Petra Wetzel. TIME The right time ? Enough time ? Time of the day ? The time has come ? It’s beer’s turn ?

TIME FOR BEER

Petra Wetzel

TIME

• The right time ?• Enough time ?• Time of the day ?• The time has come ?• It’s beer’s turn ?

BEER

bier bierre pivo birra cerveza beer (US)

it’s all the same consumer category - “let’s go for a beer”

---------------------------------------------------------------- beer (UK)Beer = ale brands “let’s go for aLager is something else pint”

TIME FOR BEER…

Good image is good for all categories. Bad image is bad for all categories. Consumers care about image.

Perception is Reality

...to think about its image. Beer is beer is beer.

• Ales are for older men, beards and anoraks• Lager louts, football hooligans (sponsorship!)• Lagers – mass produced, full of chemicals• Lagers – for the unsophisticated drinker• “Pint of lager please. What brand? Don’t care”• Beer belly, brewer’s droop, beer is fattening

The Image of Beer in Britain?

IMAGE OF BEERS, LAGERS, ALES

• Not cool• Unhealthy lifestyle• Only for men• (Or ladettes) BUT… Guinness?

UK beer and wine consumption

TIME FOR BEER

• Beer sales in the UK have been in decline for some years

• Wine sales continue to rise• Alcohol will continue to be our favourite social

“drug” (safe in moderation)• Let’s give beer back its rightful place as King,

for the right reasons• Beer is Beer is Beer

TIME FOR BEER

• Opportunity for smaller independent British brewers to lead the change

• Niche brands• Marketing can be different from global brands• PR as well as marketing; big local influence• Collaboration is the name of the game• Untapped female market : 50% of population

WHY COLLABORATION?

• Cooperative model in other fields works well• Shared services still allow competition• EBC is good example of non-competitive

networking, but UK doesn’t make much use of it• Tested collaborative idea in Scotland but little

interest. Offended SIBA!• e.g. distribution, packaging, quality/safety,

procurement

• Opportunities to partner with the big brewers, locally nationally and for export

• They do many things extremely well : take the best bits

• Most have been around for longer than many of us

• Global consumers

• WEST experience is good ; two-way collaboration

Opportunities

WEST’s CONTRIBUTION TO BEER’s IMAGE?

• Reinheitsgebot = dispel any perception that lagers have to be full of chemicals

• Relationship and respect for Tennents wouldn’t be expected

• Non association with macho• Deliberate support for feminine values• Beer can be stylish, wholesome, cool• Keg beers do not have to be filtered and pasteurised• Beer is bier is bierre is cerveza is pivo

and finally...

Thank you SIBA