Coors Light expands into UK market

Coors Brewing International is to launch Coors Light, the fourth largest beer brand in the US, in the UK.

Although plans are still being finalised, it is likely the beer will be available before the end of the year alongside rival Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light, which is scheduled to launch on March 1 with a 4.2m advertising campaign.

Coors already sells premium lager Coors Extra Gold in the UK. Coors Light has a lighter taste and a slightly lighter alcohol content of four per cent. In the US, the light sector now accounts for 42 per cent of the total beer market and is growing at seven per cent a year.

Anheuser-Busch is pitching Bud Light at the health market in the UK, promoting the beer for its low-calorie content – it has only 106 calories. Bud advertising will feature beautiful women saying things such as, “I like men, I just hate their guts” and, “I don’t chase men who can’t run away”. It is unclear which part of the market Coors Light will be pitched at.

Ken Hehir, Coors Brewing International’s commercial director, says: “Coors is investing heavily in Europe. We have been looking at other Coors products with a view to launching them in different markets. The ‘light beer’ sector is an obvious one to look at.”

Coors set up European headquarters in London and took over its own marketing in May last year, after ending a six-year joint venture with Scottish & Newcastle.

The brewer recently poached Bernadette Traynor from Holstein as its new UK marketer, and appointed a European marketing director, Robert Borland, from THE Games/Nintendo.