The Stroh brand was previously canned in India by Rajasthan Breweries, which stopped production in February 1999 following differences with the $ 1 billion Stroh Brewery Co, USA. MSBL--which had struck an agreement with Stroh USA in 1998 for bottled beer--will now produce and distribute bottled Stroh beer in Diet, Mild and Strong category for all the markets in the country, except South India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh).

A study conducted by the Delhi-based market research agency M&M in March 1999 in the markets of North-East, North and West India, revealed that 78 per cent of the 4,000 respondents were aware of the Stroh brand and regarded it as a premium beer. The findings have now spurred MSBL into quickly activatingthe Stroh brand--with an integrated marketing plan. Says MSBL director marketing, Monish Bali: ``Had we given a longer gap the brand would have suffered.''

MSBL now plans to launch Mild and Strong Stroh beer between mid-June and September 1999 in a phased manner: beginning with Rajasthan and progressing to the markets of Chandigarh, Punjab, West Bengal, and Harayana. Later, in the second phase, it will roll out the beer in Delhi, Bihar, Daman, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and the North-East.

Old beer in new bottles

In its new avtaar, Stroh would be made available not in cans but in amber-coloured 650 ml and 330 ml bottles. While the 650 ml bottle will have the conventional shape popular in the Indian beer industry, it's the 330 ml packaging which will flaunt the `long neck' design used by Stroh in America. The 650 ml bottle will also have a golden champagne capsule top to enhance its shelf and eye appeal, while the unique feature of the 330 ml bottle will be a colour-coded neck label.

In terms ofcolours, the blue label will represent mild beer as distinct from the red label for strong beer. Moreover, a special offset printed master carton has been developed for packing these two sizes. MSBL is also considering options like supplying Stroh in kegs to pubs, but this will depend on the prevailing excise laws of the respective states.

Pegging the price

Aiming to position the beer as a super premium brand, Stroh would be offered at a price that is higher by Rs 3 to Rs 5 a bottle, against the top-selling domestic brand in each state. MSBL believes that despite the more expensive price, the consumer would view Stroh as ``an international quality beer at an affordable price.'' While the can option was earlier available at Rs 60 per 500 ml and Rs 40 per 300 ml can, the new pricing for Stroh in Rajasthan is expected to be around Rs 35-40 (strong beer) and Rs 30-35 (mild) per 330 ml bottle; and Rs 50-55 (strong) and Rs 40-45 (mild) per 650 ml bottle.

Currently, cans account for around two per centof overall beer sales in India. MSBL hopes that apart from catering to the upper elite and foreign tourists, Stroh in bottle form would also appeal to the price-sensitive middle class. ``With bottles we are giving Stroh consumers more value than they were getting from the can,'' says Bali adding: ``We are keeping open the option for cans in future both in terms of setting up our own facilities or having arrangements with other existing breweries.''

Raising the bar

Taking cognisance of the fact that the Stroh consumer expects international quality, taste, packaging and consistency, Stroh would be positioned as `The Great American Beer'. A distinct marketing strategy is being evolved to promote the beer at, what Stroh calls, `on-shops' (institutional sales via hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants) and `off-shops' (retail outlets).

Determined to gulp over 50 per cent of the international beer market in India, Stroh is planning some bubbly bursts: