Heineken is expanding its Desperados and Bulmers brands.
The UK will become the fifth market - after France, Poland, Belgium and Switzerland - to see the launch of Desperados Red. This version of the tequila-flavoured beer contains cachaça and guarana, a high caffeine-ingredient found in some energy drinks. Heineken said the caffeine content of Desperados Red was not high enough to require declaration on pack, and that it was not looking to tap demand for energy drinks.
Rolling out in early April, it will be supported by a multi-million pound campaign covering digital, outdoor advertising, sampling, in-store installations and live experiences. The 5.9% abv drink will be available in a 3x330ml pack (rsp: £6.85).
“Desperados has led the way in establishing spirit beers in the UK, but consumer preferences are continually evolving, especially within the young adult age group,” said Heineken MD-off trade Martin Porter. “Now, more than ever, they expect exciting flavours and new ingredients from a brand they already love and trust.
“With its unexpected new taste, sales of Desperados Red in other countries have been outstanding which is why we are confident the new flavour will be an important new addition to our UK customers’ premium packed beers offering, driving profitable sales and overall growth in the category.”
Desperados is one of the fastest growing lager brands, with sales last year up 58.5% to £33.3m [Nielsen 52 w/e 11 October 2014].
Bulmers, meanwhile, will get a Zesty Blood Orange variety that will roll out from mid-March. It joins Bulmers Original, Pear, Crushed Red Berries & Lime and Bold Black Cherry, and replaces Bulmers Pressed Red Grape. The launch will be supported by an outdoor poster push, and the new flavour will join the brand’s Live Colourful TV campaign.
“Flavoured ciders are the perfect response to the consumer trend we are seeing in the market,” said Porter. “By continuing to refresh the Bulmers range, we are meeting those new consumer demands that in turn grow sales for our customers.
“Bulmers Cider Zesty Blood Orange has performed brilliantly in consumer taste tests and is in the top 10% of product concepts among the target audience [TNS concept validation 2013]. We are confident it will deliver for our trade customers this year and beyond.”
While Bulmers Original and Pear variants are in decline, the range’s fruit flavours are performing more strongly. Red Berries & Lime – one of the top ten individual cider variants – was flat last year with sales of £32.5m, while Bold Black Cherry grew 25.7% to £14m.
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