Comment: Poms wouldn't give two figs for Castlemaine anymore
'Aussies wouldn't give a XXXX for anything else', but it seems from AB InBev's decision to pull the brand (see Related Stories) that Poms wouldn't give two figs for Castlemaine any more.
Anyone wanting to keep abreast of drinks trends has got to ask why that is and the answer is two-fold: marketing investment (or lack of) and the changing shape of the lager market.
As the lager focus feature on pages 35-41 of this issue explains in more depth, there is no longer the demand there was for the old breed of conventional standard lagers such as Castlemaine XXXX.
At the same time, AB InBev has created demand for a new generation of lagers led by Beck's Vier and Stella Artois 4% by spending millions on excellent marketing. Meanwhile, it has cut its losses by no longer spending on Castlemaine. The last major UK ad campaign for the brand was in 2006.
Whether changing demand or marketing cuts came first is a case of chicken and egg, but what is vital is realising the importance of monitoring these factors in choosing your range of products.
To anyone monitoring what AB InBev was spending on raising Castlemaine's profile among consumers, the brand's decline and eventual disappearance was predictable. Equally, the marketing spend on Vier and Stella 4% and the positive sales figures of these newer brands should suggest to prospective stockists they are ones to back.
Give a XXXX for keeping an eye on which brands are in the marketing spotlight, as well as the ups and downs of sales at your bar, and you could avoid a nasty surprise or two.
