Magners keeps its bottle and ups marketing with bigger spend

Magners has ruled out a move into draught as it puts its focus entirely behind the pint-bottle format.

The decision puts an end to months of speculation and comes after a review into the brand potentially joining the bar top by owners C&C International.

Marketing director, Maurice Breen said the company wanted to concentrate on doubling its 2% share of the long alcoholic drinks market, where it competes with lager as well as other ciders, including Strongbow - which Breen claimed held an 8% slice.

He added that support would be "significantly increased" from last year's £26m, claiming Magners' campaign would make it one of the most advertised brands in the market.

He said: "Our investment level is well above what you would expect given our market share and we are upweighting it to take Magners into more pockets of the country."

The money will fund a series of high- profile tie-ups this year, starting in May with sponsorship of the world's second largest arts fringe festival in Brighton.

The cider brand will appear on venue boards, maps, brochures and other publicity material and will also be boosted by a local ad campaign, including posters, press and radio.

Magners is already involved in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but it is the first time it has taken on headline sponsorship of an arts festival in England.

In a deal with the Golf Union of Wales, it has also signed up to sponsor the Welsh Handicap Team Championship.