There has been a growing trend in recent years towards up and coming craft beers and as a result, numerous breweries have felt that a rebrand has become necessary to keep them competitive.
The 2019 Statistical Handbook from the British Beer & Pub Association states that 2,030 new breweries have been opened across the UK since the year 2000. This has put extra pressure on an already competitive market. Some historic and well-known beer brands have responded by reinventing themselves in an effort retain their place in the market.
Georgina Young from Cornwall’s St Austell Brewery explains:
“We’ve just rebranded two of our keg beers. Monterey is a 3.9% ABV pale ale – it looks very Californian as the name implies…it’s the same taste, but the sales of both of those have gone up.”
The Wychwood Brewery in Oxfordshire, which is home to the Hobgoblin beer brand, decided on a rebrand despite a strong on-trade presence. In order to appeal to younger drinkers, the brand has undergone a facelift, reflecting the popularity of fantasy themes such as Game of Thrones.
Meanwhile Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, has rebranded its Spitfire beer. The brewery has said that the reaction has been very positive, given the brand’s emotional and historic significance to the Battle of Britain.
The rebranding of some of these household names has involved making changes to bottle labels, pump clips and engraved drinkware, helping to raise brand awareness at the point of sale. Whereas, the traditional look of some old-school brands is in sharp contrast to the modern, vibrant and brighter look of the newer craft beers.
