E-Malt.com News article: Malaysia: Carlsberg will launch a new beer brand to attract younger consumers

Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd will launch a new beer brand, Tuborg Green, in a bid to attract younger consumers in a highly competitive market, The Financial Times Limited reported November 22.

"The Malaysian beer market is developing right now, and so we feel it is the right time to put it out. We hope it will find good response from younger consumers," said Ole Nielsen, its general manager of marketing.

Some five or six years ago, Carlsberg sold a stronger version of the brew, Tuborg Gold, in Malaysia but this was later discontinued.

"This time, it's a totally different beer... it's lighter and more accessible. It's a young and modern brand, skewed towards urbanites," he said. Tuborg Green, Denmark's biggest beer brand since 1980, is lighter with an alcohol content of five per cent and brewed with different yeast.

Carlsberg wants the new brand to be associated with "fun and music", he said. Hence, it came up with the idea for the beer bottles to have innovative pull-caps.

Analysts say Carlsberg's move to launch a new brand is necessary as it needs to be able to offer a greater product range.

"They have to refresh their portfolio to help stem market share loss to rival Guinness (Anchor Bhd). Essentially, they are constrained by products," said Steven Tan, an analyst at CIMB Research.

Guinness had earlier this year overtaken Carlsberg's lead position in the malt liquor market with its aggressive campaigns and now has a market share of 55 per cent, noted OSK Research.

Tuborg Green, which will be produced at the company's brewery in Shah Alam, will be available in the market from next week.


23 November, 2007