Brewers find champagne alternative

Strong competition on the beer market and slow growth this year is making big brewers identify new promotion methods capable of boosting sales during the Christmas holidays, which is more of a period for wines and sparkling beverages. The leading player on the domestic market, Brau Union Romania, introduced the Heineken Magnum, which is a champagne bottle-shaped 3-litre beer bottle. “After its launch last year Heineken has enjoyed very good performance and we decided that the market and the consumer are ready for innovative packaging, which is relevant for this time of the year,” said Ilco Kwast, group brand manager. Brau Union hopes to sell “several thousand bottles”, with this beer launched as a limited edition, especially for the winter holidays. It will be available throughout the most important hypermarket networks and in over 120 super and mini-markets. ZF