- Significant investment planned behind Budweiser; the biggest alcohol brand globally for 2019
- Ireland to be world’s launch market for new Budweiser brand identity
Dublin | 3 July 2020: C&C Group plc (“C&C” or the “Group”) a leading, vertically integrated premium drinks company which manufactures, markets and distributes branded beer, cider, wine, spirits and soft drinks across the UK and Ireland, and Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (“Budweiser Brewing Group” or “BBG”), part of AB InBev, are pleased to announced the strengthening of their partnership which sees C&C assume exclusive distribution of Budweiser, the world’s biggest alcohol brand1,on the island of Ireland.
C&C now has exclusive distribution of Budweiser Brewing Group’s complete beer brand portfolio across Ireland. C&C and BBG will collaborate on the marketing of the unified portfolio, which also includes Stella Artois, Beck’s, Corona, Leffe and Hoegaarden.
C&C and BBG plan to revitalise the Budweiser brand in Ireland and reconnect with Irish consumers, through a combination of marketing investment and in-pub activations. The planned marketing budget for the brand will be a multiple of recent spend in order to capitalise on the inherent strength of the Budweiser brand in Ireland.
Ireland will also be the world’s launch market for Budweiser’s new brand visual identity including new packaging and a new ‘Cadillac’ bottle with twist off cap. The new brand identity will be rolled-out together with a range of investments in Irish pubs including new glassware and bar taps. In addition to significant brand investment, recognising the importance of sustainability and environmental impact, Budweiser will move away from all plastic packaging by the end of 2020.
Budweiser, AB InBev’s largest brand in Europe and present in more than 85 countries globally, is poised for further growth following recent launches in France and the Netherlands, while in the UK, Budweiser is the official beer of the Premier League. The brand will be further strengthened by utilising an extensive suite of Budweiser marketing assets. According to Interbrand’s 2019 Best Global Brands, Budweiser is the world’s leading alcohol brand.
C&C has been working with Budweiser Brewing Group since 2009 and has been responsible for brewing and distributing a selection of the brewer’s brands in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
1Interbrand, Best Global Brands 2019 Rankings
https://www.interbrand.com/best-brands/best-global-brands/2019/ranking/
Tom McCusker, Managing Director of C&C Group Ireland, commented: “We are excited about this new phase in our partnership with Budweiser Brewing Group. Budweiser is the world’s leading alcohol brand and the 4th biggest lager in the country. We intend to capitalise on the inherent strength of the Budweiser brand and its long-standing position as a lager of choice in Ireland with a new visual identity and significant investment in marketing and in-pub activation. We look forward to working together to optimize the unified portfolio and distribution strengths of our two businesses for the benefit of our customers across Ireland”.
Evgenia Vlasova, Commercial Director, Ireland, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said “We are excited that the day has arrived and we can formally begin our new partnership with C&C Group. We have big plans in Ireland and are looking forward to this next chapter.”
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About C&C Group plc
C&C Group plc is a leading, vertically integrated premium drinks company which manufactures, markets and distributes branded beer, cider, wine, spirits, and soft drinks across the UK and Ireland.
- C&C Group’s portfolio of owned/exclusive brands include: Bulmers, the leading Irish cider brand; Tennent’s, the leading Scottish beer brand; Magners the premium international cider brand; as well as a range of fast-growing, super-premium and craft ciders and beers, such as Heverlee, Menabrea and Orchard Pig.
- C&C Group has own brand and contract manufacturing/packing operations in Co. Tipperary, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; and Vermont, United States, where it manufactures Woodchuck, a leading craft cider brand in the United States.
- C&C Group is the No.#1 drinks distributor to the UK and Ireland hospitality sectors. Operating under the Matthew Clark, Bibendum, Tennent’s and C&C Gleeson brands, the C&C Group supplies over 35,000 pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels, and is a key route-to-market for major international beverage companies.
- C&C Group also has a minority investment in the Admiral Taverns tenanted pub group, which owns over 1,000 pubs across England and Wales and exports its Magners and Tennent’s brands to over 60 countries worldwide.
C&C is a FTSE 250 company, headquartered in Dublin and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
About Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is the trading name of AB InBev UK Limited, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ABI) and South Africa (JSE: ANB) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I remains a proud part of AB InBev globally. In the UK, Budweiser Brewing Group employs 1,000 people in our three breweries in Magor, South Wales, Samlesbury, Lancashire and Enfield, North London and in our local headquarters in Central London.
We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to offer the UK’s leading premium beer and cider brands, including global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands Bud Light®, Michelob Ultra®, Beck’s®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bass® and Boddingtons®.
Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Learn more at: www.budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk or on Twitter through @BudBrewingUKI
For more information about Anheuser-Busch InBev, please visit www.ABInBev.com.