Although the plateau TV pizza and the can of beer

The association between beer, man and the football is well known. Football World Cup therefore logically should have been the theatre of confrontation of virulent campaigns between the Brewers to be "the" brand of reference of the millions of fans in France. The opportunity was dream as "100 of promotional spending have already between April and September," says Valérie Ziegler, Director of the trade mark 1664. It is nothing. Only Kronenbourg, the "Kro", for aficionados, assumes its positioning "popular and male". The brand promises to invest the pages of "the team" and to stage his mascot, a small figure stylized playing with the round ball. 700 Cafés that relay the games should also defend point animations offering of "happy hours". But nothing more.

"The association between alcohol and sport is prohibited," said Valérie Ziegler. The Evin law imposes, in fact, the drastic rules to the Brewers in France, prohibiting combine alcohol and sport image, and use the television media. But the real reason for this discretion is any other.

"The World Cup is not an opportunity but rather a threat" for the profession, says Gérard Lalois, General delegate President of Brewers of France, professional organisation bringing together manufacturers. To survive in a market which has lost 25 of its volume in twenty-five years, the profession means, in fact, radically change the "status of the drink." Rebind the beer and football would therefore amount to negate number of initiatives in recent years to enhance its image. "We want to leave it there where it is today", says Gérard Lalois.

To do this, each fourbit its weapons. The abbey beers are thus taste nuances, playing on the traditional label. One of the best-known, Leffe, feels of otherwise legitimate for "take place at the table of gourmets". With four varieties, the blonde, the brunette, the radiant more amber, or the triple high fermentation brand intends to accompany Braised Endive or lobster butter orange... Although the plateau TV pizza and the can of beer.

The 1664 surfing, she, the top target of range most urban and mixed. The mark, which is already calling the designer Philippe Starck, has launched a "1664 white" Edition, a white beer bottled in a stylish blue bottle which promises "of subtle aromas of citrus fruit. A niche to position itself among the beers 'premium', 20 more expensive than the heart of market. 1664 could also undermine another recent innovation, the Desperados beer flavoured with tequila of Fisher, attention by young people with about 6 of the market share in value.

Attract women

With different tactics, manufacturers therefore attempt to give the beer its letters of nobility. And is therefore not a coincidence if Dutch Heineken has preferred to focus on its partnership with the European Cup of rugby "rogue sport played by a gentlemen", rather than investing on the more mundane topic of soccer.

To boost sales, the Brewers have to distinguish themselves and "The World Cup is not a domain segment", summarizes Valérie Ziegler. With more than 400 varieties identified by the France Brewers, manufacturers must put forward specific flavours and characteristics to their place.

In the end, with a more elegant image, beers brands could finally the challenge so far never reached to attract more female target for which "nobody has yet found the recipe", finds Valérie Ziegler. Women were indeed only 14 to drinking beer at least once last year. First brake suspected: the bitterness. But the argument has quickly swept under the appetite for English or Spanish for the same beverage. As less bitter beers like Kriek Cherry won better implementation. Disability would therefore come from this decidedly tenacious image of a not very distinguished drink. Historical fact: "the Greeks and Romans associated beer (barley wine) to the barbarians since for them civilized people drank wine", reported the France brewers.

Failure to transform the beer to wine, put forward more delicate flavors and especially barter can or pint for a more elegant container could, according to manufacturers, harvesting favors from women. The new bottle of 1664 White has achieve like Heineken, which now offers a format reduced 15 CL appropriate to more casual consumers. With a more refined product, the Brewers hope ultimately stem the crisis.