LAST year was a big year for Scotland and it was a pretty busy time also for the country’s biggest beer brand Tennent’s Lager, especially in the off-trade.
And Tennent’s marketing director Paul Condron told Scottish Grocer there will be significant follow-up activity in the coming year.
The Tennent’s range saw Tennent’s Lager itself effectively rebranded in the off-trade and three new beers introduced –the flavoured 2.8% ABV Lemon T, the 4.7% ABV premium lager Black T and the alcohol-free beer Hee Haw.
On the core brand the idea was to add some humour to the beer shelves.
“We felt there was an opportunity to bring a cheeky Scottish personality to our packs,” Condron said. The packs included phrases connected to the appropriate season or some major current sports events, designed to capture the mood of the moment and feature a trade mark big red T. The phrases included “Armchair athlete”, “Nae tickets”, and “Barbecue in the rain”.
More are planned in 2015.
T in the Park, which moves venue this year, will see Tennent’s Lager in the off-trade involved in substantial on-pack activity.
Lemon T did well in its first summer period, Condron said. Work is ongoing on building sales outwith the hottest days of summer and a new pack will become available this spring.
Black T is designed to give pub drinkers of Tennent’s Lager who prefer to buy premium bottled lager in the off-trade a Tennent’s option. It will also receive significant support in 2015.
And Hee Haw, launched in the on-trade as the the drink-driving limits changed, attracted immediate interest from the off-trade, he said. It’s already in Scotmid and now rolling out to other stores.
