Address: 22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP.
Date of birth 1873.
Nationality: American.
Marital status: The company went public in 1975. The Coors family are
still major shareholders.
Background: Coors is the third-largest brewer in the US, after Budweiser
and Miller.
The company has been run by the Coors family since Adolph Coors, a
German refugee, set up a brewery in Golden, Colorado, in 1873. His great
grandson, Peter Coors, became president and CEO last summer.
Although Coors is a big US brand, it doesn't pack the punch of
Budweiser, the self-proclaimed 'King of beers', particularly in the
UK.
But it hopes to change that, as a huge marketing push is poised to turn
Coors Light into a serious UK rival to Bud. The 'light' beer sector has
caused Bud problems here, as our hard-drinking culture has struggled to
come to terms with the fact 'light' means lower calories, not
low-alcohol. Anheuser-Busch recently withdrew Bud Light from the UK
after only two years.
Coors plans to step into the breach and achieve with Coors Light what
Bud Light couldn't. Coors Light will not be marketed as low-calorie, but
instead go for the testosterone vote as a full-strength beer specially
designed to be drunk in larger quantities. Yeah, right, nice one
marketing boys. Suppose it helps you pull too.
Major brands and marketers: Coors recently hired ex-Guinness man Jamie
Lister as European marketing director. He is charged with giving Coors
Light some weight in the heavy-drinking Euro-zone. Ian McLernon is UK
marketing manager.
As far as Coors' UK portfolio goes, Coors Light is it. Coors Original is
available but hardly supported. In the US, there's also Coors Dry, Coors
Extra Gold and Coors Non-Alcoholic (don't even try to launch that one
here).
Contact number for Coors Brewing 020-8614 9300.
Media agency and account manager: BJK&E handles Coors in the UK. Tara
Marus is account manager, Jason Smith senior planner/buyer.
Contact number for BJK&E 020-7379 8080.
Annual media spend: The company plans to spend pounds 10 million
supporting Coors Light in a nationwide campaign. Most of this activity
won't be until next year.
Media used: BJK&E has been running test campaigns in Scotland to prepare
its strategy for the national roll-out. Targeting 18- to 21-year-old
males - an elusive, out-and-about group - BJK&E opted for lots of street
media.
It was the first advertiser to use TDI's new bus 'Megasides', and also
used 'Megarears', 'T-sides' and advertised in pub washrooms. Cinema was
tested and the brand sponsored a clubbers' slot on Beat 106 FM. Coors
Light has used television, but the last campaign was in April 1999.
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