A sales-boosting mark of quality or an irritating, impractical annoyance? Opinion on branded glasses is divided, says Adam Withrington.
Are branded glasses more trouble than they are worth? It happened about a year ago, and for some reason I can remember the moment as clear as day. I was out for the evening with a group of industry types and, trying to show the kind of brand knowledge that only a Publican drinks reporter would have (i.e. I was showing off). I ordered a glass of Leffe Blonde. I imagined the barman approaching me with a cool, appetising Leffe stem glass, which I would then sip slowly, leaning against the bar - the very definition of sophistication.
When he slapped a Guinness glass down on the bar, with Leffe spilling over the sides, to say I was disappointed would have been an understatement. After drinking it I can certainly say that Leffe was not designed to be drunk in pints! It tasted like Leffe Blonde, but it sure as hell didn't look or feel like it.
And that is a significant point. In 2005, branded glasses have become almost as important as the brands themselves.
Consumer research unveiled at last year's Cellar to Seller Conference showed that over 75 per cent of drinkers prefer their beer in a branded glass, over 50 per cent perceive beer in a branded glass to be of better quality, while 37 per cent are willing to pay more for beer served in a branded glass.
However, while it may be good for consumers it does not mean licensees aren't getting fed up with branded glasses. They get nicked, take up too much space, are hard to stack and confuse the staff - in general they are a pain. So you have to ask: are they really worth the bother?
InBev UK is absolutely sold on the concept, which is not surprising given it has distributed 15 million branded Stella Artois glasses in the last three years - no small investment. Marketing director Phil Rumbol says there is more to it than simple branding. "Branded glassware has an important role to play," he explains. "It is a feature of Continental dispense and as more consumers travel and enjoy that experience, they increasingly demand it."
Indeed, branded glassware for Stella has increased the rate of sale of the brand in the on-trade - with an average uplift of 9.7 per cent a year.
An estimated eight out of 10 pints of Stella Artois are now served in branded glasses. The figure for Tennent's Lager is 90 per cent while, at 95 per cent, almost every pint of Hoegaarden sold is in its branded glass.
Punch Taverns sings off a similar hymn sheet. Stephen Martin, beer and cider category manager at Punch, says that while there might be the odd problem, the concept is very important. "We love branded glasses. Cons-umers want them and they are prepared to pay more for drinks if they are used," he says.
And there are many licensees who support the concept.
Stephen McConnell, licensee of the White Hart Tap in St Albans, says he has used branded glasses for years. "It makes a product special in the eyes of the consumer," he says. "We need to give beer that bit of extra quality in the pub arena, especially when people can buy it so cheaply in the supermarket."
On the other hand, there are licensees and managers who have had enough of them. Frank Cobb, licensee of the Holmbush Inn, St Austell, says: "It is really nice to have branded glasses - they are a nice touch. But when you are busy they can be a real pain."
A manager of a student venue in Leeds (who wishes to remain anonymous) refuses to use them. "Branded glassware is just a waste of time. I just don't think anyone in this industry believes they make any difference. If you are serving the amount of beer we are every night we could sell it in a bucket and people wouldn't care."
Branded glass dilemmas
- Right brand - WRONG GLASS!
Stella in a Carling glass, Carlsberg in a Guinness glass, Foster's in a Stella glass. Using the wrong branded glassware is bad. Like really bad. Like Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars bad.
John Holberry, on-trade sales director at Coors Brewers, is as big a fan of the branded glassware concept as you can find. However, he argues: "Serving a beer into the wrong branded glass is by far and away the worst thing you can do. I would go so far as to say that if you don't think you can deliver branded glassware properly, then don't even try."
However, this problem is an inevitable result of having so many different branded glasses. Mistakes will be made. "Having all of these different ones does create problems when we are busy because they can run out quite quickly and then you are reduced to running round seeing if there are any left anywhere in the pub," says Frank Cobb.
Space
The branded glass now comes in different heights, widths and styles. Trying to fit them all onto shelves that were designed to fit the old-style "nonik" glass can be tricky, particularly in small pubs.
"I was running a much smaller pub until earlier in the year," says Frank, "and in there space was a real issue. Particularly because of the different sizes. If you have shelves that are made to fit the old style glasses then something like the new taller Stella glasses just won't fit."
Breakages
The latest fashion for branded glassware is the moulded, embossed style (see Stella and Carling). But Frank says they don't seem to be able to stand up to glass-washing machines. "The real problem I have is with the moulded glasses that I get from Carling, Carlsberg and Stella. They just break really easily in our glasswasher. So I am constantly having to get new ones and the brand owners continue to send in more and more. It is relentless."
What to do
The little snapshot I have managed to put together here brings you to one simple conclusion about branded glassware - it should really only be used in the right type of venue. If you already use branded glasses and have no problems with them, then carry on. The statistics above, as well as testimonials from industry figures and, more importantly, licensees, show they can add a certain "X" factor to beer sales.
However, it seems the busier the venue is, the more difficult it is to maintain standards with branded glassware.
Stephen Martin from Punch explains: "With young person's venues and high-volume venues there is a big problem. When you get to 10pm and they are 10-deep at the bar there is a big challenge. Are you going to have enough glasses and are your staff going to get the right brands in the right glasses?"
If you don't think you are going to do branded glassware justice then don't do it. Or if you are very keen on the concept maybe only use them for premium brands or speciality beers. Just because the big managed house down the road has branded glasses for everything doesn't mean you have to. Think about the pros and cons for your venue.
Do your customers appreciate branded glassware? Or does it give your staff a headache they don't really need?
A spokesman for Wetherspoons told The Publican: "Our customers really do like branded glassware. But operationally it can be a bit of a nightmare. There is nothing worse than serving someone a drink in the wrong glass. However, we feel we train our staff well enough for that not to be a problem."
It is about standards - whatever you decide to do on branded glassware, just make sure you do it well.
Just a glass with a badge?
If you thought all your average branded Stella glass was invented to do was to sell more Stella then think again. Did you know how much a branded glass could do these days? Just look at what InBev UK can offer in term