Molson Coors 'prepared to fail' with new beer launches

Molson Coors is working with a "small number" of pub chains to launch its female-friendly Animée beer brand, and Carling Chrome.

The new brands, launched last week, will be in pub outlets from 22 August — although details of the pub chains stocking the products are currently under wraps.

Molson Coors chief executive Mark Hunter admitted "we are prepared to fail" with the new launches, but said the category urgently needs the boost the innovation will bring.

The company aims to re-invigorate the beer category and return the sector to growth by 2020.

"It is time to unite for a beer revolution. The beer category has been on the back foot and been buffeted by a number of headwinds," he said.

"We are striving for that next big game-changing move and we think it will benefit the industry."

He threw a challenge out to other brewers, claiming the decline in the beer market is something that should have been acted on sooner.

"You could suggest the captains of the beer industry have been asleep on their watch for the past 30 years," he said.

The launch of Animée and Carling Chrome is the first wave in a new range of initiatives that will be coming online in the next 12 to 36 months from the brewer.

Animée is available in three variants: Clear Filtered, Crisp Rosé and Zesty Lemon. It is initially being launched in a 275ml bottle expected to retail at between £3 to £3.20 a bottle. The company said it is investing significantly in glassware for the new brand.

If the launch is successful, Molson Coors marketing director Chris McDonough said "there is no reason why" the brewer would not consider launching the Animée in a draught format with a triple font.

As part of a brand review Molson Coors is evaluating whether its Molson Canadian lager could be suitable to launch in the UK.