E-Malt.com News article: UK & Ireland: Molson Coors targets female market with launch of Animée beer brand

Molson Coors, UK’s biggest brewer targets £396million opportunity with launch of light sparkling finely filtered beer. The new product is the result of two years of new product development, a company’s press release announced on July, 18.

Launching in early autumn, Animée is part of Molson Coors’ ambition to make beer a real choice for women who are vital in growing a shrinking beer market, which currently attributes just 17% of its sales to females. The 4% ABV beer is lightly sparkling and finely filtered with a delicious, fresh taste. Animée will be available in three variants: clear filtered, crisp rosé and zesty lemon.
The new brand positioning aims to dispel the perception among women that all beers look and taste the same and that there is nothing to tell them apart. The positioning is supported by Animée’s unexpectedly sophisticated appearance and delicious, fresh taste.

Kristy McCready, Communications Partner, Molson Coors (UK & Ireland) said: “Women are an essential part of future growth for the beer industry and can no longer be ignored. We need to repair the reputation of beer among women by launching products that meet their needs.

“Driving a growth in beer consumption among women is no mean feat. Currently 79% of women in the UK never or rarely drink beer, only accepting to drink beer on a small number of occasions. At Molson Coors we have put a lot of time into finding out why women aren't drinking beer, conducting an insight programme with over 30,000 women, and what would make them change their minds. The result is Animée, which we see as an exciting opportunity to break down the barriers between women and beer. The brand plan and the product design are feminine and sophisticated without being patronising.”

Animée is the result of two years of NPD driven by industry and consumer insights from the BitterSweet Partnership, a multi-million pound business set up by Molson Coors in 2009 to remove the gender imbalance that exists around beer consumption and make beer an aspirational choice for women.
Working with VCCP Blue, Molson Coors will launch a £2 million advertising campaign in September to drive awareness of Animée among consumers and the trade.

Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world’s beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Blue Moon, and Keystone Light across North America, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the U.S. through MillerCoors; and in the U.K. and Ireland through Molson Coors (UK & Ireland). For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company and our portfolio of brands, visit the company's website, www.molsoncoors.com.

In the UK, Molson Coors has over 2,000 employees and breweries in Burton on Trent, Alton and Tadcaster. It has a market share of over 20% of the UK beer market. Our portfolio includes Carling, the UK's best selling lager for three decades, Coors Light, Grolsch, Worthington's, Caffrey's, Corona, Cobra and a range of speciality beers.



20 July, 2011