SABMiller looks to accelerate Pilsner Urquell growth
SAB Miller has signalled it is preparing a major push for its Pilsner Urquell brand in the UK after reporting double-digit volume growth for the Czech beer in its last fiscal year.
The UK subsidiary of the world’s second biggest brewer, Miller Brands, says beer volumes for Pilsner Urquel grew 10 per cent in the 12 months to 31 March.
The brand is marketed heavily throughout the world but activity in the UK has been confined to experiential and on-trade initiatives to date as well as an ongoing partnership with golf’s Open Championship, where it is the official beer.
The brewer says in a statement the company wants to match the brand-building “success” it has had with Peroni Nastro Azzurro in the UK. It has launched several television, outdoor, experiential and content marketing campaigns such as last year’s branded opera to grow Peroni in the UK over the past five years.
“Interest in world beers continues to grow among British drinkers, the Miller Brands team drove a campaign based around Pilsner Urquell’s unique taste profile and its heritage. The business has enjoyed great success in building and growing the Peroni Nastro Azzurro brand in the UK and intends to deliver similar results with the Pilsner Urquell brand”, the company adds.
The performance of Pilsner and Peroni helped drive volume growth of 4 per cent in the UK, compared to what the company claims is a 5.1 per cent decline in the UK beer market over the same period.
Globally, the brewer reported a 7 per cent increase in revenue to $23.2bn for the year. The company committed to investment in marketing to drive future growth.
