Why is Foster’s shedding its old avatar to impress Aussies?

Summary

• World renowned beer Foster’s is changing its image to cater to local consumers.
• Globally the beer is known to be Australian, however Aussies prefer other local beverage brands over Foster’s.
• Other famous brands in Australia are Tooheys beer, XXXX Gold and Victoria Bitter.

It is known that Australians love their beer, especially on hot summer’s day. Sipping a can of cold beer is like a tradition. The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that an average Aussie consumed 3.71 liters of Beer in 2018.

Australia offers a huge variety of beers, from craft beer to the mainstream beer brands to a low-carb ale. Along with the international beer brands, hundreds of local big and small breweries are making its way in the market every year. However, there is one brand which is local only for the namesake. The world-famous Foster’s beer which was crafted in the year 1889 in Australia is foreign to its own people. Created by two Americans, Foster’s is not as popular and enthusiastically consumed as other local beers in the country.

To change this brand perception, Foster’s has decided to launch the rebranded product especially targeting the local consumers. Even in its proverbial homeland, Foster’s isn't the country's beer of choice. The beer is hard to find on the shelves and also hardly any venues serve the beer on tap. However, one can't deny its contribution towards building a beer culture in the country. With re-launching locally, the beer company expects to increase the production by whopping 300 percent in the next few months. 

Foster’s journey to success in overseas market:

Foster’s as a beer also endured an interesting journey. Foster’s was created by William M. and Ralph R. Foster who came from New York to Melbourne. The brothers started to brew the beer and within a few years the product was exported out of Australia. The bottles were sent to Australian volunteers fighting for Britishers in the Boer War.

Image Source: Foster’s official website

Since then, the beer brand has traveled many places in the world, being one of the most favourite beer brands of consumers. Soon the two brothers sold the company and moved back to the US. Later the company saw a series of mergers which then ultimately resulted in the forming of Australian brewing combine Carlton & United Breweries.

By the time the company established the beer name Foster’s it had already been perceived as a British brand. Even today, Aussies prefer Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter over Foster’s beer.

Currently, the brewery Carlton and United Breweries which brews Foster’s, is owned by Japanese Asahi Group Holdings. The 131 years old beer brand is distributed in various parts of the world.

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Image Source: © Kalkine Group 2020

Creating a new image through advertisements:

Notably, even if globally the beer brand is known to be Australian, the beer is brewed in Manchester, United Kingdom. Behind Carling, it is the second best-selling beer brand in the UK. The standard lager is however still promoted in the Australian accent in advertisements. Some of the famous slogans Foster’s showcased in the ads has a typical Aussie style of speaking like “beaut coldies” and “here’s to a bonza weekend”.

The pale lager’s "Australian for Beer" slogan defined it as a local brand when the ad campaign was launched in 1971. With its style and ad campaigns it is very much clear that the brand Foster’s however took birth in Australia, but was primarily European style lager. 

The famous American animated sitcom ‘The Simpsons’ were also a part of Foster’s advertising campaign in 1995. The beer can made various appearances in the series as it tried to create the reputation of Australia’s favourite beer in the episode “Bart vs Australia”.

Now with the rebranding, the international brewing group plans to target the locals which usually consume the low-cost competitor brands. The company plans to make 30 cans of beer available for a retail price of $53. Lion’s XXXX Gold beer is sold at $42.95 and CUB’s Victoria Bitter beer is priced at $59.99 for 30 cans. 

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Other famous beer brands in the country:

Victoria Bitter is one of the most iconic beers in Australia. The brand is commonly known as Victory Beer or Vitamin B to its consumers. The famous green tin has earned its status of being a classic Australian lager. Much like any other legendary brand, its reputation credit goes to the marketing and advertising campaign it did. The ‘hard earned thirst’ jingle is a household phrase now.

Tooheys beer brand created by Irish immigrants, the Tooheys Brothers is most favoured in New South Wales. The historic Sydney brand produces a variety of beers.

There is a joke as old as Queen of England, on Queenslanders based on their favorite beer name. They call their beer XXX because they can't spell beer. XXXX Gold is one of the most in-demand beers in Australia. However, the XXXX which is pronounced as ‘four ex’ is the most famous in the Sunshine State.

Coopers is an Adelaide icon that churns out a number of beers. It is as locally owned brewery in Australia with a substantial market space.

While talking about the beers of Australia, Carlton Draught is the name one cannot miss. Carlton & United Breweries’ extremely favourite Aussie lager shot up in its popularity meter because of its hugely hit advertising campaigns.