Summer 2 0 0 7
Ireland has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth over the
past decade, mainly due to substantial investment and
development in its infrastructure and technology sectors. World
of Heineken examines how increased wealth and prosperity are
influencing the country's age-old beer culture.
If you own a top-of-the-line notebook, the chances are high that it will
feature a "Made in Ireland" label. That label, perhaps more than anything
else, signifies Ireland's current technology-based economic boom, and the
reason why its economy has become known as the "Celtic Tiger" of Europe.
The luxurious homes that populate a once sparse and rural landscape, as
well as the expensive cars parked in their driveways, bear witness to the
massive step change in what was, for centuries, a mainly agricultural-based
economy and society.
Not surprisingly, this upturn in wealth and prosperity has brought about
significant changes in the lifestyles and attitudes of many people in Ireland.
Irish consumer behaviour has been evolving fast, and this is just as true of
the beer market as it is for a range of other goods, including technology.
Traditionally the Irish beer market was dominated by "the black stuff",
stout. Heineken Ireland has its own stout brand, Murphy's, which remains a
preferred stout brand in its home markets of Cork. The dominance of stout
began to decline in the 1980s. Consumers moved away from its strong,
bitter taste and old worldiness, preferring the lighter taste of lagers and the
emotional appeal of their fresh, contemporary image. From the 1990s this
shift was driven more and more by the Heineken brand, and by the on-trade
in particular. Since then the company has driven and sustained steady
volume growth and brand attachment.
"That's a tremendous success in a difficult beer market. And that success is
due to a combination of factors," says Declan Farmer, Corporate Relations
Manager at Heineken Ireland. "The Irish stout consumer was very discerning,
and this discernment transferred to lagers, representing a challenge to
both brewers and marketeers alike. Heineken Ireland has adopted a range
of different measures to address the changes in the market," he says.
"We have introduced a number of new brands to meet different consumer
needs, tastes and occasions. Most interesting of these perhaps has been
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