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The classy, iconic images from Stella Artois ads are a far cry from the brand's violent public perception. As the lager market slows, Stella is suffering more than most. Can Inbev's German import save the beer or should it be left to recuperate out of the public eye? By David Benady
Lager brand Stella Artois is in intensive care as owner Inbev attempts to revive UK sales and restore its premium image. A new- brand doctor is arriving from Germany to take charge of the Belgian patient (MW last week).
Inbev has appointed German marketing chief Andreas Hilger to fill the same position in the UK, taking over from Devin Kelly who is departing for his native US. Hilger takes up the post next month and his priority will be to halt the steep decline in sales suffered by Inbev's number-one UK profit-maker: Stella Artois.
He faces a massive and complex task. The whole beer market is stalling as people switch to alternative drinks. But some say Stella is declining 10% each year, though it is still the UK's number one "premium" lager.
Stella is a Jekyll and Hyde brand. Its upmarket, sophisticated brand image is at odds with its public reputation as a cheap, high- strength beer swilled in vast quantities by young men. The advertising may be chic and classy, suggesting elegant soirees and art house cinema, but the brand has become linked to alcohol- fuelled violence and has been given the sobriquet "wife beater". One judge recently said that "Stella" was a word he heard all too often in his courtroom when dealing with drunken young men.
Meanwhile, the "Reassuringly Expensive" advertising slogan has been undermined by discount promotions of the brand through supermarkets and off-licences.
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Inbev has unveiled a number of steps to shift people's perceptions...