E-Malt.com News article: Singapore: APB ranked amongst Singapore's 15 Most Valuable Brands

Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd (APB) announced on November 30 it has once again been named by IE Singapore as one of "Singapore's 15 Most Valuable Brands" in 2005. Ranked fourth on the final scoreboard of the Singapore Brand Award 2005, APB's brand value stood at S$1.225 billion, an 8% increase versus a year ago. Overall, from 2002 to 2005, APB's brand value has risen by S$405 million or 49%.

On the award, Mr Koh Poh Tiong, Chief Executive Officer, APB said, "We are delighted with the award and proud of our better achievement this year. While it is a recognition of our growing presence in the international market, the award is also an affirmation that our brands, in particular Tiger Beer, have been the preferred choice of beers for many beer lovers."

Given the diverse market segmentation of the beer industries in each market, APB manages a multi-brand portfolio targeted at distinct consumer segments with unique value propositions. Today, APB oversees a portfolio of over 40 beer brands including home grown Tiger Beer, Anchor Beer, Baron's Strong Brew and ABC Stout as well as the international premium brew, Heineken amongst others and enjoys an extensive reach across different market segments in different countries.

APB's Flagship, Tiger Beer

On its list of successful house brands is none other than Tiger Beer, APB's flagship brand. Launched in 1932, the brand is currently savoured by millions of drinkers from over 60 countries worldwide. While Tiger Beer continues to stand firmly as Singapore's favourite beer brand, the brand has been successful in winning market share in other Asian markets, in particular Malaysia and Vietnam.

In the western markets such as the UK and USA, Tiger Beer has been embraced as a leading premium brew that hails from the Far East. Currently, Tiger Beer is the No. 1 imported Asian beer brand in the UK in terms of volume sold. Last year, the brand also recorded high double digit growth in the USA. Likewise the brand is warmly received in markets such as Europe, Australia and North America where an increasing sales volume has been registered.

Tiger Beer's connection with Beer Lovers

While Tiger Beer's award-winning taste has won the hearts and taste buds of millions of beer drinkers around the world, Tiger Beer has built consumer loyalty through extensive consumer-focused campaigns.

From advertising "Give that man a Tiger" and "It's Tiger Time" to innovative sponsorships, Tiger Beer has been seen as a contemporary and exciting beer brand in Asia.

To further enhance its appeal and connection with an ever-increasingly diverse spectrum of consumers, Tiger Beer has recently taken on a more contemporary and distinctive image and packaging.

In line with the makeover, Tiger Beer will build a more intimate rapport with its drinkers worldwide though lifestyle platforms such as music, entertainment, fashion, travel as well as design and technology.

At the same time, Tiger Beer will remain associated with the most popular sport in the world, football. To quench the thirst for the best-in-football action, Tiger Beer promises to up the football excitement in Asia by providing its fans with access to premium international competitions.

Currently, Tiger Beer is already behind the English Premier League broadcast. This sponsorship works hand-in-hand with Tiger Beer's sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, reaffirming Tiger Beer's objective of bringing the best of World Class Football to Asia.

To further enhance the football experience of the fans from the region, Tiger FC, a football club for Tiger Beer drinkers, has kicked-off in Singapore, Malaysia and recently Vietnam. Privileged members of the Tiger FC can look forward to catching the best in EPL football and other world class football action at the outdoor viewing parties to be brought to them exclusively by Tiger Beer of course!

In markets such as the UK and USA, Tiger Beer has been marketed as a truly unique and leading premium Asian brand. The brand has adopted cutting edge approaches to portray its Asian roots as well as the adventurous and exciting personalities of the brand.

Some of the marketing approaches which Tiger Beer has used in these two markets included a tie-up with IE Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board to kick off the Tiger Beer Singapore Chilli Crab Festival in Brooklyn, New York in 2004 and 2005; getting behind the Tiger Tartan Asia Extreme 2005, an Asian film event in the UK; and connecting with the young urban males and females though 16 Feet Underground, a night of kick boxing action at a carpark deep beneath the historic Smithfield's Market in London.

Tiger Beer - World Acclaimed

Over the years, Tiger Beer's award-winning taste has picked up over 30 internationally acclaimed accolades and awards. The most notable include the Brewing Industry International Awards, UK, 1998 (the equivalent of the Oscar Awards for the brewing industry) and more recently, Tiger Beer won the Gold medal in the European Style Pilsener category of the 2004 World Beer Cup, a competition which is considered "the Olympics of Beer Competitions" by the industry.

In fact, Tiger Beer has become such a recognisable and much sought-after import premium beer in UK that it was named UK Cool Brand Leader in 2004 and 2005 - a recognition given to the coolest brands in UK.

Tiger Beer also topped a list of 50 beer brands and was crowned the NUTS (a weekly magazine in the UK) Beer of the Year 2004. These recognitions attest that apart from industry medals, Tiger Beer is also gaining greater popularity with its growing number of fans.

APB's Winning Portfolio

Another homegrown brand which has achieved success beyond the shores of Singapore is Anchor. The brand has struck a chord with mainstream drinkers in North Vietnam and Cambodia; and is firmly entrenched in the market of Hainan, China. Currently, Anchor is the number one beer brand in the mainstream segment of Hainan and is fast growing in the markets of South China.

Heineken holds its own as the leading international premium beer with a strong consumer following in almost every country around the world. APB currently undertakes the brewing and marketing of Heineken in six countries including Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

As a major player in the Asia Pacific region, the APB Group also invests in a range of beer brands that were created for its overseas markets. In Shanghai, APB's REEB brand has been affectionately embraced as a Shanghai brew while a Tiger variant named Tiger Crystal Lite was introduced to cater to the increasing demand for light beers there.

Catering to the likes of Kiwis, APB offers brands such as Tui, Gold Export and Monteith's in New Zealand while it's SP Lager, South Pacific Export Lager and Niugini Ice Beer have cornered some 99% of the Papua New Guinean market.

To capture a slice of the huge mainstream segment of the 16 million-hectolitre Thai beer market, a new brand named Cheers was added to its portfolio of Tiger Beer and Heineken in Thailand in October 2005. It is intended that the enhanced portfolio will further strengthen the Group's brand strategy for the competitive Thai market and enable APB to further drive volume collectively.

Mr Koh said, "APB, while constantly creating and unveiling new brands to tap fresh market opportunities, is also aware of the importance of maintaining impeccable quality and equity building of its existing brands to drive home a larger domestic and regional market share."


07 December, 2005