Beverage World - May 2008 - (Page 3) WORLDBEAT RUSSIA & EASTERN EUROPE news and analysis from a global perspective Peroni Rolls Out in Russia The No. 1 premium Italian beer brand is experiencing strong global growth. by heather landi L revealed A/W 2008-2009 collection. Chris Taylor, SABMiller’s international brand director for Peroni Nastro Azzurro, says the brand’s unique Italian style positioning, as well as the huge opportunities opening up in the Eastern markets, places the brand in a good position to be successful in Russia. “Peroni Nastro Azzurro continues to win hearts and minds around the world. It has reinvigorated the beer category by constantly challenging people’s perceptions about traditional beer drinking, country by country, and it has done this by ensuring that the brand’s Italian heritage and style remains at the core of all its activities,” Taylor notes. Peroni Nastro Azzurro is now present in 13 markets— Australia, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Colombia, France, Peru, Poland, Romania, Puerto Rico, Japan and its home in Italy. BEVERAGEWORLD.COM Russians have long had a love affair with all things Italian, associating their goods with elegance, craftsmanship and authenticity, according to James Wilson, SABMiller Russia’s managing director. “They are becoming increasingly demanding and appreciate brands with quality, strong heritage and international appeal—all values embodied by Peroni Nastro Azzurro,” he says. The Russian beer market is one of the fastest growing markets, charting a double-digit increase in 2007, making it an attractive market for international brewers. Russian consumers also have shown an increased interest in premium beer brands, which has driven sales growth. BW MAY 2008_BEVERAGE WORLD_ 3 » ondon-based SABMiller is expanding the reach of its premium Italian beer brand, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, into the Russian market as part of a US$50 million international roll out. The most significant launch for the brand this year, Peroni charted 72 percent growth in international sales from March 2007 to March 2008, according to the company. To kick off the launch, Peroni hosted a party in central Moscow in late April at style venue Arsenal. Reinforcing the brand’s ties to Italian fashion, the roll out coincides with a fashion installation by Italian fashion designer Antonio Berardi, who presented his parachute dresses from his recently NENA RISTIC, the face of Peroni Nastro Azzurro in Russia, stands in Red Square in Moscow (left). SABMiller is launching the brand in Russia to take advantage of the growing opportunities for beer in Eastern markets. http://BEVERAGEWORLD.COM
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