“Growing beyond beer”: Molson Coors to outline updated strategy at Virtual Travel Retail Expo

Molson Coors Beverage Company’s strategy for the future, and its plans in travel retail, will be discussed at the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo.

Earlier this year, the multinational brewing giant took on a new corporate identity. Sporting a refreshed logo and a contemporary look, the move aimed to balance the heritage of the Molson and Coors names – both legends in the North American beer industry. It also signalled the company’s decision to expand beyond the beer aisle.

As a Virtual Expo Silver Partner, Molson Coors Beverage will highlight trends it believes are driving the drinks category.

Along with its well-known brands, which include Blue Moon, Coors and Miller, it will introduce names like Staropramen, Bodega Bay and Vizzy which Molson Coors believes are destined for the spotlight.

According to Molson Coors Beverage Company President and CEO Gavin Hattersley, the new corporate name “speaks volumes about who we are and what is possible for our business”.

While the company will continue to build on its foundation of well-known beer brands, the reality is that its future “will expand beyond that”.

“We will continue to pour resources behind big ideas like Coors Light’s ‘Made to Chill’ campaign and Miller Lite’s newly- launched ‘It’s Miller Time’ campaign,” Hattersley said.

He mentioned investments in above-premium beers, with Molson Coors ready to add further support to emerging brands such as Blue Moon Light Sky in the US, and Pardubický Pivovar in the Czech Republic.

In the US, Molson Coors is exploring canned wine brands and other exciting new concepts. Its cider expansion in the UK, and Truss’s recently launched line of cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beverages in Canada are other examples of Molson Coors demonstrating its new agenda.

James Thacker was named Molson Coors Beverage Company Travel Retail Senior Manager EMEA and APAC earlier this year.

In travel retail, he noted, Molson Coors has some “world class” brands which are popular with key travelling nationalities, in particular the US and UK. He said the company’s Coors Light, Blue Moon and Miller Lite brands all hold leading positions within their categories.

“US and UK passengers make up our core consumer in travel retail, but there are plenty of places where they will struggle to find our brands,” Thacker added. “A key goal for us is to work with our customers to meet consumers’ needs when they’re travelling, and ensuring they can access our brands.

“As the Molson Coors footprint grows globally, so we’re also targeting similar growth in travel retail, in regions such as the Middle East, South America and Asia Pacific. We’re finding our brands are adding more choice for consumers in these markets, and bringing more interest to the category.

“Take Staropramen, for example. The Czech pilsner and the leading Prague beer in the world, is well known in Eastern Europe and is now gaining more listings in travel retail there, helping premiumise the offer and adding value to the category.”

Thacker believes that trends driving the drinks category in domestic markets also apply to travel retail. “We’re trying to find ways to help our customers capitalise on these trends within travel retail and enhance their offer to consumers,” he said.

“One trend we have seen develop over the past few years is the ‘better for you’ category”, Thacker added. “This has led to the growth of hard seltzers which has taken the US by storm and is now spreading to Europe and beyond. The drinks appeal to a growing consumer base that want simple, pure and organic ingredients in their beverages.”

Thacker is encouraging Expo participants and visitors to check out the Molson Coors Beverage stand, to learn more about Bodega Bay from the UK and Vizzy from the US.

These and other innovations will be featured on the Molson Coors stand. Be prepared, Thacker said, to be surprised.