Beer Chang Light To Be Launched

[george]

Chang Light heads new beer launches

BANGKOK: -- Thai Beverage Plc plans to further penetrate the lucrative beer market by launching at least three new brands next year, including “Chang Light”. Chang Beer, which has positioned itself as an “economy” beer, now controls about 60 per cent of the total market in terms of volume sales.

The launch of new beer products is part of Thai Beverage’s “multi-brand” strategy to expand its product portfolio from economy to standard and premium segments, said Kasemsant Weerakun, vice-president for corporate communications.

He said that Chang Light, which is being positioned as a premium beer, would be launched in the first quarter of next year. Another two new beer products are scheduled to launch later in the year.

Thai Beverage’s rival, Boon Rawd Brewery, currently offers beer brands that target a range of market segments. While its Singha beer is intended to appeal to middle-income drinkers, Leo has been positioned as the “sexiest beer” on the market and targets new college graduates as well as young people just getting started in their careers.

Boon Rawd also markets Kloster and Asahi, both of which are aimed at the premium segment.

Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co Ltd, the distributor of Heineken, which controls the leadership position in the local premium-beer segment, recently introduced its new Cheer beer product to tap economy drinkers.

“We aim to increase our corporate share by another 2 per cent next year from our ‘multi-brand’ strategy,” said Kasemsant. He said that next year’s marketing budget for Chang beer alone would be Bt160 million.

Marketing support for the launch of the new products would constitute a different budget, he added.

He said that Thai Beverage Plc exported 15 million litres of Chang to overseas markets this year, and exports were expected to increase next year.

The total beer market is expected to grow by only 2 to 3 per cent next year from Bt85 billion in value this year (or 1.715 billion litres in volume sales) due to tougher regulations launched by the government to control beer and other alcoholic beverage consumption.

Ueychai Tantha-ophas, managing director of Thai Beverage Marketing Co Ltd, the group’s marketing arm, said that Chang would achieve total sales of 960 million litres in volume and about Bt40 billion in value this year, up 3.5 per cent from 2004.

He said that the total beer market was expected to grow by about 5 per cent this year encouraged by the growth in the economy- and premium-beer segments as more players, both Thai and foreign, are entering the business.

Economy beers now account for about 85 per cent of the total beer market in Thailand, followed by standard beers, with 9 per cent, and premium beers with 6 per cent.

Ueychai said that competition in the local beer market is becoming more structured between Thai and foreign players, resulting in more intense activities in all segments. The competition is expected to grow even more intense next year, while the primary limitation on the industry’s growth will be the measures introduced by the government and growing health awareness among consumers.

Somchai Suttikulpanich, senior deputy managing director of Thai Beverage Marketing Co Ltd, added that Chang enjoyed a clear position as market leader in the economy beer segment with a 66-per-cent market share.

“This year, the growth of Chang has been according to our plan, as we started to emphasise the freshness of beer, a measure crucial in our anticipation of more intense competition from both Thai and foreign brewers in 2006. This is because beer consumers all over the world are becoming more sophisticated and are putting greater importance on the quality and freshness of beer,” said Somchai.

He said that 2005 was the second year that Thai Beverage began to seriously market Chang for draught consumption. About eight million litres of Chang draught beer were sold this year, making it among the top three players in the draught segment with a 30-per-cent market share.

--The Nation 2005-12-27

[Gumballl]

I thought that Beer Chang already came in a light version... the small bottle.

You have "yai" and "lek", the latter weighing in less than the former.

(Forgive me if my Thai phonetical spelling is off).

[Padkapow Guy]

Chang light might be easier on your diabetes George.

PKG

[steveromagnino]

I thought that Beer Chang already came in a light version... the small bottle. 

You have "yai" and "lek", the latter weighing in less than the former.

(Forgive me if my Thai phonetical spelling is off).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Spelling looks good to me....

- kuat yai: big bottle 38 baht

- kuat lek: small bottle 25 baht

- kuat dtum rwuay: the bottles that you find in the middle of roads?! 100 baht

I like chang; tastes good as it is; no need for light, I can drink Heineken for that.

[BambinA]

- kuat dtum rwuay: the bottles that you find in the middle of roads?! 100 baht

dont dare to test this one.. sound smelly

[buadhai]

So, is Chang Light gonna be light on calories (like US "lite"), light on alcohol (like OZ "light"), or light on flavor?

[Totster]

I thought Archa beer was "Chang Lite" ... ??

totster

[buadhai]

I thought Archa beer was "Chang Lite" ... ?? 

totster 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought Archa was "Chang &lt;deleted&gt;"....

[Thai Chi]

I thought Archa beer was "Chang Lite" ... ?? 

totster 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought Archa was "Chang &lt;deleted&gt;"....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And calling LEO the "sexiest beer" &lt;deleted&gt; After 4 or 5 of them, I've got no chance of getting a hard one....!!!

[lampard10]

And calling LEO the "sexiest beer"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's like calling me the sexieist man in Surin

[Thai Chi]

And calling LEO the "sexiest beer"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's like calling me the sexieist man in Surin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, on Xmas day, you did start to look O.K. after about 5 LEOS Martin But then again, so did I when I checked myself in the mirror