In the new poll on thegrocer.co.uk, you’ll have the chance to answer one of the drinks trade’s great imponderables: can a beer aimed at women be a success?
We’re asking on the back of Molson Coors launching its girl-friendly Animée brand. Apparently the name derives from the French word for vivacious, rather than the ‘anime’ Japanese cartoons that feature robot ninjas with tentacles destroying 25th century Tokyo.
While previous attempts to lady-up existing brands have more often than not been failures, it’s not just Molson Coors trying to get in touch with its feminine side.
Carlsberg plans to bring its Copenhagen brand – positioned as an alternative to white wine and explicitly marketed at “modern women and men”, in that order – to the UK next year, as our sister publication Morning Advertiser reported earlier this week.
Incidentally, Carlsberg today announced the addition of Staropramen to its stable of world beers – another sector in which it can see clear growth, in contrast to traditional lagers for ‘the lads’.
As for whether beers aimed at women can thrive in the UK, those who say yes point to the success of Magners, which is popular with the ladies despite the supposed turn-offs of being served in pints and unfashionable brown bottles.
But some habits are hard to shift – as demonstrated by the fun story in today’s papers about the supposed drinking culture at Pernod Ricard. The French liquor maker has lost a legal challenge over claims in a book, Dealer Légal, that its recruits were required to down shots to impress executives. One source claimed heavy drinking was “an unwritten but real criteria for getting the job”.
Contrast that with the labours of British drinks companies to prove how seriously they take their commitment to responsible boozing.
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