New "brand proposition" for Magners to be rolled out next summer

C&C Group is planning to roll out what its chief executive John Dunsmore said would be a "new brand proposition" for its Magners cider next summer.

Dunsmore declined to give details about the project, which he said was currently being worked on, but it is thought that it will be a new flavoured cider, most likely a mixed fruit variety.

The chief executive also confirmed that the group wanted to maintain its presence in draught cider, despite competition for bar space among producers becoming tougher. C&C's cider rival Heineken recently withdrew its draught version of Bulmers Pear. "We have no plans to exit," Dunsmore said.

Magners Pear was "growing comfortably", Dunsmore added, but he noted there were still challenges.

"We've work to do to convince people to buy draught Magners in pubs. We've got to give consumers a clear reason to do so," he said.

UK sales of Magners fell two per cent in the UK in the first half of the group's financial year, which ended on August 31, 2009.

Consumers still connected Magners with an "over ice experience", Dunsmore said, and the challenge was to "get across the intrinsic sense of the brand" beyond bottles.

C&C is looking to use stronger brand positioning and serve innovation to address the group's issues in the on-trade, he added.

Dunsmore said C&C was focused on stabilising its overall cider volumes, which fell more than six per cent in the first half, and integrating its recent acquisition of Tennents lager.