FRESH NEW LOOK FOR SAB’s MILLER GENUINE DRAFT

In keeping with its strategy of continuous brand refreshment and innovation, the South African Breweries (SAB) Ltd has given one of its premium beers, Miller Genuine Draft (MGD), a full packaging and design makeover.

When the brand was introduced in South Africa in 2003, Miller Genuine Draft rewrote the rules of the market by presenting an original authentic draft beer in a bottle. Today its fresh taste stays the same but it now boasts with a whole new packaging and design look and feel matching the freshness of the brand and bringing it in line with its global positioning and redesign. It’s the first renovation of the brand since its launch.

SAB Marketing Director, Ian Penhale, said the company’s strategy is to continually work on its brands to ensure that they are appealing and remain the first choice of consumers.

“The MGD packaging upgrade moves it in line with the brand’s progressive attitude and reinforces its individuality. Consumers of this uniquely cold filtered beer will be as impressed with the brand’s fresh new look as they already are with its genuinely fresh taste,” said Penhale.

“MGD is positioned as an exciting wind-up beer for young, sophisticated, bold and alternative-thinking professionals. These consumers are known for keeping ahead of the curve and don’t expect anything less from their beer. As a consumer-facing company, we invest intensively in market research to stay ahead of consumer trends. MGD has always had a strong following and we believe the change is perfectly timed to evolve with its fans.”

MGD’s redesign is reflected on the brand’s primary packaging, secondary packaging and tray, as well as its below the line artwork. The labels and crown tops of both the 330ml and 660ml bottles sport a contemporary new image, with the 330ml bottle itself also undergoing a facelift.

With MGD’s product quality, pricing and fresh-from-the–tap taste remaining unchanged, SAB believes the redesign will not only appeal to current MGD consumers, but also capture a lot of new consumers.

In keeping with its reputation of being ahead of the pack, SAB said the brand will also be one of the first in its stable to incorporate health warning messages, a full five months ahead of the 23 February 2009 deadline mandated by the Department of Health.