Wrap Text
SABMiller CEO Alan Clark sets out long-term vision for superior growth
SABMiller plc
JSEALPHA CODE: SAB
ISIN CODE: SOSAB
ISIN CODE: GB0004835483
Media Release
SABMiller CEO Alan Clark sets out long-term vision for superior growth
At an investor seminar in London today, Alan Clark, Chief Executive SABMiller plc, outlined the
company’s long term strategy for growth, including plans to expand beer’s appeal in mature
markets. Nick Fell, Marketing Director SABMiller plc, covered the brewer’s plans to build a
position for beer outside its traditional role as the favourite drink for men in pubs and bars,
with flavours and styles that attract more consumers on more occasions.
Alan Clark said: “SABMiller has always been about strong growth and performance. To ensure
we continue on this trajectory in the future, we’ve sharpened our strategy to focus on three key
elements: driving superior topline growth, becoming more efficient and concentrating on the
highest growth opportunities.
“Our long experience of operating in emerging markets means we are well-positioned to
capture the opportunities from these high-growth markets. But in the more mature and
fragmented markets, we need a new approach. We have a long-term vision to push out the
boundaries of the beer category, appealing to more consumers on more occasions through
innovation and challenging traditional perceptions of beer."
Nick Fell said: “We know there’s untapped potential in beer and it’s time to change the image of
beer as just a drink for guys watching sport. Why shouldn’t beer be a great choice with food or
something that has much more appeal for women?
“Achieving this will take time but it can be done. Just look at coffee. What was previously a one-
dimensional drink has become everything from an inexpensive cup of instant at home to a
premium-priced speciality drink in a coffee shop with a huge range of exotic flavours and styles.
We have the same opportunity and vision for beer.
“We are already seeing good results from strengthening our core lager brands and expanding
our portfolios into new areas such as radlers, flavoured beers and ciders. Our new strategy for
beer takes us further. We believe our unrivalled local market insights - as the most local of the
global brewers - combined with our size and scale will allow us to really shape the future of beer
in new and interesting ways.”
Chris Ritchie, MD for SABMiller in Panama, and Andrew Highcock, MD for SABMiller in Poland
presented case studies, illustrating how plans to expand the beer category will work in their
markets.
Mr Clark, Mr Fell, Mr Ritchie and Mr Highcock will deliver their seminar again tomorrow,
October 7th, in New York.
Highlights from the presentations
Alan Clark
Strategic choices:
- Drive superior topline growth with an insight-based long-term growth strategy for the
beer category:
- Extending occasions when consumers may choose beer;
- Offering beers as alternatives to wine and spirits;
- Improving premium mix;
- Ensuring affordability in emerging markets
- Liberate resources to win in market and reduce costs:
- Cost reduction and efficiency programmes, including the introduction of global
business service centres; enhancements across global supply chain; and
increased scope of SABMiller Procurement
- These programmes liberate resources to re-invest in front-line execution
- Shape global footprint to contribute to superior growth
- Focus resources on highest growth opportunities
- Where the right opportunities arise M&A remains a core component of growth
strategy
- Deliver superior performance in soft drinks operations, where SABMiller has an
increasing focus as a complement to beer operations
Nick Fell
SABMiller beer category strategy:
- Beer currently has the largest value share at 28% of the global packaged beverages
universe
- To date, beer’s heartland has been masculine consumer occasions. To grow share of the
global packaged beverages space, beer must become increasingly relevant to a broader
range of consumers on more occasions
- Long-term strategy to achieve this:
- Define consumer occasions to target, using deep local consumer insights;
identify those where beer is underrepresented, e.g. evening meal occasions,
formal and informal mixed-gender occasions, family relax occasions, etc.
- Understand the benefits consumers are seeking from drinks on these occasions,
including taste, premium feel, affordability, packaging, etc.
- Align a beer beverage that will meet these criteria, delivering the benefits that
suit a specific occasion
- This will include positioning of new and existing styles of beer using new and
existing brands and packaging, with a focus on premiumisation, e.g. radlers,
ciders, wheat beers, sharing packs, etc.
Seminar
The seminar is being webcast live at 12.30pm BST today (6 October 2014) and can be accessed
on www.sabmiller.com along with the slides from the presentation. A replay of the webcast will
be available shortly after the seminar has ended later this afternoon.
Notes to editors
SABMiller plc is in the beer and soft drinks business. We are the world’s second largest brewing
company and are one of the world’s largest bottlers of Coca-Cola drinks. We also produce a
portfolio of wholly-owned soft drinks brands.
We are a FTSE-20 company, with shares trading on the London Stock Exchange, and we have a
secondary listing on the Johannesburg stock exchange. We operate in more than 80 countries
with around 70,000 employees.
The group’s brand portfolio includes leading local brands such as Aguila (Colombia), Castle
(South Africa), Miller Lite (USA), Snow (China), Victoria Bitter (Australia) and Tyskie (Poland)
as well as global brands such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft
and Grolsch. Every minute of every day, more than 140,000 bottles of SABMiller beer are sold.
In the year ended 31 March 2014, the group sold 318 million hectolitres of lager, soft drinks and
other alcoholic beverages, generating group net producer revenue of US$26,719 million and
EBITA of US$6,453 million.
This announcement is available on the company website: www.sabmiller.com
Further information is also available on:
www.sabmiller.com
www.facebook.com/sabmiller
www.twitter.com/sabmiller
www.youtube.com/sabmiller
06 October 2014
Enquiries
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0100
Catherine May
Director of Corporate Affairs
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7927 4709
Gary Leibowitz
Senior VP, Internal & Investor Engagement
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0119
Christina Mills
Director, Group Communications & Reputation
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0105
Richard Farnsworth
Business Media Relations Manager
SABMiller plc
t: +44 20 7659 0188
Sponsor:
J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa (Pty) Ltd
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