a great many points along the can
ning line advanced monitoring equip
ment has been set up to keep a close
watch over the process of installing
the insert. This provides a guarantee
that, both before and after filling, the
capsule remains tightly lodged in the
bottom of the can. Even cans with the
slightest deviations from the norm are
automatically pushed off the conveyor
belt.
Whitbread brewery in Samlesbury, to
the north of Manchester, packs all
Murphy's Irish Stout in draughtflow
cans, i.e. both the Murphy's for the
British market and the (Cork-brewed)
Murphy's for the Irish and all export
markets.
Ernie Clements is a production
line manager at the brewery in
Samlesbury. He explains the principle
of the Draughtflow System. "An insert
with a nitrogen capsule is automatic
ally placed in the bottom of the can.
Whilst the beer is being pasteurised
the insert becomes slightly softer in
structure. But the nitrogen cannot
escape because of the pressure of the
beer. To bring the pressure to exactly
the right level, a little more nitrogen
is injected into the beer just before
the lid is sealed on the can. When the
can is opened by the consumer, the
pressure of the beer on the capsule
disappears. The capsule jets open, the
nitrogen is released and mixes with
the beer to create the head of
foam."According to Clements, the
opening in the capsule through which
the nitrogen is released is hardly visi
ble to the naked eye.
Extra processing steps during the
filling of beer into cans also require
extra quality control by Whitbread. At
Connoisseur
"A young, discerning, experimental
type of consumer. A person who is
interested in beer, a connoisseur who
does not drink large volumes and
who doesn't consider Murphy's Irish
Stout as his only beer." That is the
consumer that Eamonn O'Sullivan
has in mind when we discuss the tar
get group for the black beer from
Cork.
O'Sullivan hardly makes a dis
tinction between the various coun
tries to which Murphy's Irish Stout
has been exported to date. In terms of
marketing and sales little use is made
as yet of this description of the target
group. The target group only plays a
role in the choice of outlet.
"Large budgets are hard to justify.
We are still too small-scale to operate
with enormous marketing budgets
and spend a lot of money on things
like market research and advertising.
We are concentrating on promotions
in the pubs, where we mainly have to
rely on trial and mouth-to-mouth
advertising", says O'Sullivan.
List
The list of export countries for
Murphy's Irish Stout is growing stead
ily. Export Manager Bob Kennefick
sums them up: Murphy's is available
on draught in Canada, the United
States, Bermuda, the United Kingdom,
France, Germany, Italy, Bahrain,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Murphy's in
the Draughtflow can is available in
several of the above markets and also
in St. Maarten, Gibraltar, Sweden,
Australia, New Zealand, the Cayman
Islands and in some Duty Free mar
kets.
Which product do O'Sullivan and
Kennefick prefer for their export
activities: draught or cans? Kennefick:
"If it is a serious market I prefer
draught, because that's the real thing.
Although in certain markets, of
course, we can get off to a good start
with the Draughtflow cans."
If he lets his heart speak, then
Eamonn O'Sullivan is an advocate of
draught Murphy's. "But rationally I
say: cans. You've got no installation
costs, no dispenser installation to
clean and no returns of kegs. The can
gives people a taste experience and
we can use that to lift sales until it
becomes remunerative to install a
dispenser. At this moment for me it is
clear: the can is the man!"
Start quickly
For introductions in new markets
the same strategy is always pursued:
start quickly and build slowly.
Kennefick explains why: "Murphy's
Irish Stout must be fairly difficult to
obtain - certainly in the beginning.
Mouth-to-mouth advertising then
does its work and creates consumer
curiosity."
Ireland, its culture, its mentality,
its clean environment sells itself well
to consumers in Europe. Interest in
everything Irish is growing. That
applies for instance to Irish agri
cultural produce but equally to stout.
According to Kennefick, Murphy
Brewery is profiting from that
growing European interest in Ireland. 23
As regards the United States the
situation is slightly different. There is
almost always an Irish person in a
U.S. bar. The Irish in the United
Production line manager Ernie Clements
shows a widget which is fixed in the bottom
of a can.
States are very often in the bar busi
ness. America has a special bond with
Ireland and Americans with Irish
forefathers will definitely emphasise
their Irish background and be open to
products from their 'former home
land'.
"Half of the outlets in the U.S.
which sell Murphy's Irish Stout are
typically Irish style pubs. The other
half I would describe as the serious
beer pubs. Pubs which carry a wide
range of beers and where the con
noisseurs enjoy their beer", says
Kennefick.
Van Munching Co., importers of
Heineken, Amstel Light and Buckler
have also included Murphy's Irish
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
