A new lady lager?
This autumn, the UK’s number one brewer Molson Coors will be launching three new "bloat-resistant" beers marketed to women. This will be good news for women who would like to drink beer without having to throw away a full wardrobe of size 8 clothes after a night on the town.
The goal, according to the press release, is to "remove the gender imbalance that exists around beer consumption and make beer an aspirational choice for women." Hear, hear.
At least, Molson Coors seems to have come to realise that women are a vital consumer target group in a shrinking beer market. The UK beer market currently attributes just 17 percent of its value sales to females, Molson Coors reported.
The collection of three beers – clear filtered, crisp rosé and zesty lemon – is called Animée, as in the French word for "livened up", and described as "lightly sparkling and less bitter than typical lagers." Molson Coors will launch a GBP 2 million (EUR 2.3 million) advertising campaign in September to drive awareness of Animée among consumers and the trade.
It’s a good thing Molson Coors spent two years developing this beer, since the world was experiencing a worrying shortage of flavourless, boring beers previously, a cynical craft beer lover quibbled.
But, more to the point: haven’t all previous attempts by brewers to produce a beverage for women failed risibly and spectacularly? Does anybody remember Beo, Carlsberg’s lady drink which was not a beer, not a cider, not a soft drink … in the end it was nothing much to write home about.
Then there was Essa, launched by SABMiller in Russia in June 2010. To my question as to how the brand was doing, SABMiller’s press officer in Russia replied: actually, she did not reply at all.
Undaunted by these flops, Carlsberg decided to give a lady lager yet another try. In May 2011 it launched Copenhagen beer, promoting it as a stylish, international alternative “intended for modern women and men.” The focus is clearly on young female consumers, whom the brewer would like to wean away from white wine and champagne. The beer will be rolled out internationally as of next year.
When travelling around Norway at the end of July 2011 I found the Copenhagen beer in a supermarket and bought a bottle to sample. What can I report apart from that it looks and tastes like a Corona Extra? Which brings me to the next question: why should women go for a Copenhagen or any other beverage targeted at them if they can have the real thing – a nice glass of wine?
