The cider market is booming and beer brewers all want a piece of the (apple) pie
In May, Carlsberg Canada brought Somersby Apple Cider to the Ontario and B.C. markets (it was launched in Denmark in 2008), celebrating with a launch party in Toronto’s Liberty Village.
“People are beginning to look to ciders as that way to refresh themselves through the summer,” says Nick Relph, director of marketing, Carlsberg Canada.
Waterloo, Ont.-based Brick Brewing launched Seagram Cider, which is made from 100% Ontario apples and contains no preservatives. It’s sold in single-serve 473-ml cans and is meant to appeal to both men and women. President and CEO George Croft says the product will capitalize on growing cider consumption both in Canada and around the world, noting that Canadian sales of domestic and import cider were up 14.5% and 9.5% respectively in 2011.
Labatt-owned Alexander Keith’s launched its new Original Cider in Ontario. It’s being sold at the LCBO in packs of six 355-ml bottles and a 473-ml single-serve cans. When the product launched in April, Mike Bascom, brand manager for Alexander Keith’s in Toronto, said Labatt is targeting males and females 25-34 with the Original Cider product. A marketing campaign by Toronto agency Red Urban highlights the ritual of serving cider on the rocks and sharing it with friends, utilizing the tag “Share over ice.”
While Keith’s has claimed the name “Original,” it’s perhaps more fitting for Growers Cider, which was established in Victoria, B.C., in 1927. The company, now owned by Vincor International, launched an out-of-home and point-of-sale campaign to promote its new line of flavoured ciders and its 1927 brand, which launched last year. Growers is targeting a younger audience with ad copy like: “Just like grandma’s pie only way less filling,” and “All-natural fruit flavour without the tedious chewing.”
