UK: Molson Coors revamps Cobra beer

Molson Coors and Cobra beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria are relaunching the brand in the UK to emphasise its premium positioning, it was announced earlier in October.

The new-look Cobra is being launched across the UK this month, said Molson Coors on October, 10. The Carling lager brewer has a controlling 50.1% stake in the Cobra Beer Partnership, with Lord Bilimoria owning the rest.

Cobra's distribution in the UK has been built on its ties to India and, in particular, to Indian cuisine. But, Molson Coors and Lord Bilimoria are keen to expand Cobra's reach by pushing it as a premium beer for "any occasion" in both restaurants and the off-trade, albeit without losing the connection with India.

In the rebranding, they said that the green and gold colours on the Cobra bottle have been enriched, while the logo has been redrawn and contour lines have been added to the bottle neck label. In the press release from 6 October, 2011 Molson Coors stated also that the partially exposed bottle with the distinctive embossing adds a sense of mystery so closely associated with India. They added that consumers surveyed as part of the redesign said that the new-look Cobra appears more stylish and modern.

19 October, 2011