Murphy's name. Partly thanks to
extensive TV coverage the brand
awareness of Murphy's Irish Stout has
been substantially boosted.
In May 1991 a series of three com
mercials was launched aimed at
Adam Collett, brand manager Murphy's at
Whitbread in the U.K., tests a pint of
Murphy's Irish Stout.
Murphy Brewery also sponsors local events,
like a demonstration snooker match
between world champion Stephen Hendry
and Irish champion John Doherty. The
photo shows the two players together with
General Manager of Murphy Brewery
Michael Foley Geft) and Deputy Lord
Mayor of Cork Damien Wallace.
increasing the brand awareness and
also at educating the consumer. In
the commercials the consumer is told
in a humorous way how Murphy's
Irish Stout should be served and
drunk. The films were made by the
English BBH advertising agency.
One million
At the present time Murphy's is ob
tainable in more than 13,000 outlets
and accounts for a market share of
thirteen per cent, or more than 1 mil
lion pints a week. The British stout
market had always been almost en
tirely in the hands of Guinness, but
Murphy's Irish Stout has built up a
firm position within the space of a few
years.
Even now that the stout market in
the U.K. is declining slightly, Adam
Collett, Brand Manager Murphy's at
Whitbread, is pleased to note that the
volume of Murphy's is still stable,
which means that its market position
is growing. "That gives us an espe
cially favourable launch-pad when
the stout market starts to grow
again."
With the introduction of Murphy's
Irish Stout in the Draughtflow can,
Whitbread also wants to achieve suc
cesses in the important take home
market. The can is also sold to pubs
for take home purposes after hours
and to small restaurants and guest
houses in which the installation of a
dispenser would not pay its way.
Collett does not expect the
Draughtflow can to account for a
large proportion of the sales of
Murphy's Irish Stout in the on pre
mise trade, since the focus continues
to be on expanding the distribution
and on promotions to build purchase
frequency.
For 1993 Whitbread has the same
objectives for Murphy's as in 1992,
with the emphasis of its activities on
expanding the distribution in London.
Collett: "Murphy's is traditionally
weaker in London than in the rest of
the U.K. but we will invest more this
year in distributing and marketing."
Innovation
The development of the Draughtflow
can is regarded by experts as the most
important innovation within the
brewing industry in the past ten
years. The characteristic way in
which a pint of stout is served in the
pubs could not be imitated in the past
by using bottled or canned stout,
since that stout only contained carbon
dioxide and could not be mixed with
nitrogen.
With the aid of Heineken, Whit
bread spent several years studying to
find a way of allowing the consumer
to drink a draught-quality beer at
home as well. At the moment the
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
