>>A lager that’s stood the test of time

Product:
carlsberg lager
Company:
Carlsberg UK
Launch date:
1847
Danish lager brand Carlsberg has proved a firm favourite within the UK and has successfully managed to increase sales in recent years, while other big brand names have struggled to keep up.
Valued at just over £155m, an increase of more than 27%, the old favourite is growing well ahead of the total £2.6bn non draught lager market which, in comparison, climbed by a mere 1.7% [ACNielsen MAT to October 1, 2005].
Carlsberg Lager now accounts for nearly 6% of the total market and has clocked up distribution of almost 87% of all possible outlets.
With a strong performance in most regions, although less so in the London area, Carlsberg lager is doing particularly well with consumers aged between 16 and 34 years old. It has also proved a popular choice with maturing families. Advertised as ‘Probably the best lager in the world’ for many years, Carlsberg has been around since 1847, when Jens Jacobsen brewed Denmark’s first ever pint using a yeast that became the basis for many modern- day imitations.
It is said that Jacobsen named the brew after his son Carl, and it has now become a regular in millions of bars across 140 countries.
Advertising has played a big part in the success of the brand. In June Carlsberg revealed that it was renewing its partnership with Liverpool Football Club as its official sponsor. Ending speculation that the brewer was planning to end the sponsorship deal, it extended the contract for a further two years, thereby ensuring significant future exposure for the brand.
Carlsberg also recently announced that it was investing £13m in a high-speed canning line at its Joshua Tetley brewery in Leeds, bucking the trend for factory closures and job losses in British food and drink manufacturing.
Some 13% of ACNielsen’s consumer panel have tried the tipple, with an impressive 44% of those coming back for more.