In the US, Stella Artois markets itself as “a thing of beauty” with a campaign shot by fashion photographer Bert Stern. A glamorous woman downs her Stella while an admiring male looks on, earning approving comments from AdWeek about the beer’s association with a “sense of luxury”.
AB InBev, owner of Stella Artois, now wants to send a similar message to Chinese drinkers. It has just announced it will launch the brand – a Belgian beer – at the super premium price of Rmb40 per bottle. As the China Daily reports that’s a lot more expensive than most beers, which typically retail at Rmb10 or less a bottle.
China consumes 450 million hectolitres of beer annually (see WiC65) and AB InBev has about 12% of the market. But the Stella launch signals an attack on a more neglected, higher-end of the market. Perhaps AB InBev has been inspired by Pabst Blue Ribbon’s launch of a pricey ale (see WiC78). Doug Young says on his China Business Blog that introducing Stella is a “brilliant move” timed to tap into “image conscious” young urban consumers ready to spend more on luxury items.
© ChinTell Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sponsored by HSBC.
The Week in China website and the weekly magazine publications are owned
and maintained by ChinTell Limited, Hong Kong. Neither HSBC nor any member of the HSBC group of companies ("HSBC") endorses the contents and/or is
involved in selecting, creating or editing the contents of the Week in China website or the Week in China magazine. The views expressed in these
publications are solely the views of ChinTell Limited and do not necessarily reflect the views or investment ideas of HSBC. No responsibility will
therefore be assumed by HSBC for the contents of these publications or for the errors or omissions therein.
Download Apps