Greene King IPA receives a facelift
Greene King has given the struggling session ale market a shot in the arm with a new look for its IPA brand.
Following the successful relaunch and redesign of the premium Abbot Ale last year, the Suffolk-based brewer has given its flagship IPA brand a facelift by introducing a modernised pumpclip and bottle.
The UK's leading Indian Pale Ale, which accounts for 42 per cent of Greene King's brewing, is one of the few brands that is showing growth in a standard ale sector that has fallen by 16 per cent in the last year.
However, despite its promising performance, consumer research conducted by Greene King revealed that the brand was in need of a fresh look.
Sarah Brindley, Greene King's marketing manager for IPA and Abbot Ale, said: "IPA is the jewel in the Greene King crown but a lot of drinkers thought it looked too serious and the shape was a bit boring.
"By updating the slightly tired image, we aim to unleash the brand's massive potential and add huge value to our business.
"We want Greene King IPA to be the number one cask beer in the UK and we know that there are some areas of the country where we have only just scratched the surface of opportunity."
As part of what Mrs Brindley describes as evolutionary not revolutionary changes, the pumpclip and the bottle have been modernised while the iconic king has been given a more prominent position in the new design.
"We want to own the term IPA in the same way that Heinz owns baked beans," she said. "We know that combining our heritage and traditional roots with a stylish, forward looking brand image has worked wonders for Abbot Ale.
"We want to bring about the same result for our flagship beer brand."
To coincide with the makeover, a new burst of the "Could you say no to another" IPA advertising campaign is earmarked for release later in the year while a sleek looking IPA glass is also being released.
The beer-led division of the Suffolk brewer, Greene King Brewing and Brands, has been renamed the Greene King Brewing Company.
The new name was chosen following consultation with employees from different parts of the business.
The move has been made to help differentiate the brewing side of the company from both the managed estate and Pub Partners, Greene King's leased and tenanted division.
