With patio season quickly approaching, Molson Coors Brewing Company is hoping to lure more summer beer drinkers into the growing flavoured beer market with the launch of an iced tea version of Coors Light.
“We’re on a mission to delight beer drinkers,” said Jennifer Davidson, vice-president of marketing for Coors Light during a media event in Toronto on Wednesday.
“This is our biggest launch in a decade and we believe this will be the drink of 2012.”
With some teaser ads already in-market, Molson will promote the new Coors Light Iced T label with a marketing campaign from DraftFCB that includes television, out-of-home, online, social media and PR activities. The work will roll-out in the coming weeks.
The campaign will also include an extensive sampling program with a goal of reaching one million Canadians. “Trial is paramount,” said Davidson. “We need to get this beer on people’s lips.”
To develop the product, Molson tasked Coors Light brewmaster Steve Stradiotto with “delivering a new taste on summer refreshment.” The new product is brewed the same way as Coors Light (both have 100 calories). The iced tea flavour comes from a blend of botanicals and natural lemon added during the filtration process.
Stradiotto and his team came up with 150 variations of the beer before turning it over to consumer testing.
The new brew isn’t the first time Molson has added a hint of flavour to a product line. Last year, the company introduced lemon and lime to its low calorie beer label and called it Molson Canadian 67 Sublime. The move sparked a reaction from competing brands, and consumers could soon buy Moosehead Light Lime and Red Baron Lime.
While flavoured beer has helped woo female consumers that might otherwise reach for a glass of wine or a cooler, Davidson insists Coors Light Iced T appeals to everyone.
