USP is key in premium market

With a cluttered premium draught market and key supply contracts with Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers up for grabs this year, it's an important period for brands to be able to explain a clear unique selling point.

Richard Bradbury, on-trade sales director for Heineken, says: "We're going into a critical period when brewers will be moving from being portfolio owners to brand owners. They'll no longer be able to invest in the number three or four brand in the category."

Nigel McNally, marketing director for Red Stripe and Kirin brewer Charles Wells, says the problem for the major premium brands is that they all have similar flavour profiles, and there's only really a need for any licensee to have one of them.

"In wine, you wouldn't just offer lots of different Chardonnays for white and lots of Cabernets for red," he says. "You know you need to be able to offer people a range of styles."

But in the end, as always, price is a key element in the buying process, even in a category that is supposed, by definition, to command a higher one.

John Holberry, on-trade sales director at Coors Brewers, says: "Price will get you to the talking stage but then pub companies will be asking about what your biggest brand is and how you're going to help them sell more beer. But a good retailer still knows how to get a balance of mainstream brands and innovation."

David Jones, communications manager at Scottish Courage, adds: "I don't think lager is any different to any other part of the beer sector. I won't say price is not part of the equation but you can't go to the major pub groups armed with nothing except cheap beer. What they want to know is how you're going to support brands and what innovation you have, because they can't afford to stand still."