Spotlight on the top Scottish alcohol drink brands of 2023 – featuring brand No.1 Tennent’s
INVESTING time, effort and money in developing the brand has clearly paid off for Tennent’s Lager this year, as it once again tops the Kantar league table for off-trade sales in Scotland.
Tennent’s launched a new ad campaign during 2023 – OOOFT! – which was the drinks maker’s biggest brand investment in eight years.
OOOFT! is commonly used throughout Scotland to mark triumphs and surprises and Tennent’s wanted to show that it offers the best OOOFT! out there – namely the first sip of its lager.
Importantly, the brand also evolved its packaging design with the aim of reflecting the quality of the lager and to make it even more appealing to the cohort of Tennent’s drinkers.
Tennent’s Lager senior brand manager Hazel Alexander explained: “This year, we took time to clarify our brand positioning.
“We spoke with consumers to understand how we could best shape the brand over the next few years – through our packaging and advertising – in ways that would retain our heartland of drinkers but also engage with a younger consumer group.”
And Alexander said that both anecdotal evidence and market research showed the redesign and the OOOFT! campaign had gone down well with both retailers and consumers.
Interestingly, the manager said, not only has the packaging revamp highlighted the brand’s heritage and shouted out the quality of the lager, its more modern look has also resonated with the younger 18 to 35-year-old consumer bracket.
Alexander said: “We’re really pleased, because it looks fantastic on shelf as well, while OOOFT! has really driven the sales performance.”
Another successful initiative earlier in the year was the giveaway through selected retailers of limited-edition glassware as part of the new Tennent’s “Raised in Scotland” platform.
Only 6,000 glasses were available on a first-come, first-served basis and Alexander said: “Tennent’s is iconic and everyone wants a piece of merchandise. The fact that the glassware was a limited edition elevated demand.”
Another reason for the continuing success and high-profile for the lager, according to the brand boss, arises from the fact that there is a Tennent’s format for every occasion – with an emphasis on offering consumers great value for money.
The lager maker is also capitalising on the younger consumer trend for lower-alcohol variants with its Tennent’s Light, which has an ABV of 3.4%.
Alexander said: “Boldy brewed for good times, 3.4% is invested back into Scottish grass roots art causes.
“We’ve moved it from a bottle into a 330ml can over the last few months, which has been very popular with 24 to 35-year-olds and we’ve seen a real improvement in sales off the back of that.”
The manager also spoke about how, thanks to the rich heritage Tennent’s enjoys, the brand and lager is ingrained in Scottish culture – and part of many memorable moments for consumers – be that catching up with a pal, birthday celebrations or major sporting occasions.
That’s something the brand will hope to capitalise on now the Scotland football team has qualified for the Euro 24 finals.
She said: “We have big aspirations for next year, with it being a big year for Scotland. We are looking forward to continuing to be at the heart of every moment, bringing people together in creative ways to celebrate the best of times and best of Scotland.”
As for Tennent’s being No.1 again, Alexander said: “Our relationship with our customers and consumers is so important, consistently delivering the lager they love, and so we are delighted to see ourselves top of the list again.”
