Opinion: Eavesdropping on InBev

I just can't get away from work these days. A trip to drink beer in Brussels on a day off recently was bound to be something of a busman's holiday, but what I didn't bargain for was being plonked on the Eurostar in a seat where I could eavesdrop on two InBev executives scheming over the brewer's marketing strategy for new Stella four per cent.

This gave rise to a 'you couldn't make it up' juxtaposition. There I was reading a Campaign for Real Ale guide to Brussels featuring beer writer Tim Webb lamenting in rabid fashion the encroaching influence of evil multinationals on Belgium's craft brewing. And there, just a thin train seat away, were a couple of suits from just such a multinational.

While the guidebook preached to the converted with brutal hyperbole (sample: "they intend to take over all the decent breweries in the world and get them to learn to sing the Interbrew company song"), the two InBev guys spoke coldly of how they would convert 'Damien', Stella four per cent's target consumer, to the brand.

Damien differs from consumers of standard Stella in several ways, apparently. He will go to greater lengths to recycle, for example. He will be more interested in expensive jeans labels.

What this tale illustrates is the two extremes of thinking in the beer market - one that mass-produced beer is necessarily bad and diversity is the key to a quality pub, the other that recognisable brands backed by clinical marketing are safe bets.

I think the reality is somewhere in-between. Brand names that the punter knows from TV ads have appeal, as do niche products. Success is likely to come from a moderate approach, stocking a few products from column A and few from column B.