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Castle pitches at the brand loyalists
MARKETING
WHAT makes a former South African yearn for home? Peck's Anchovette, Mrs Ball's chutney, biltong, Marmite, boerewors, Ouma rusks and Rooibos tea do it - and so does Castle Lager. Castle bases its new advertising campaign on loyalty to SA brands. Its new "New York" TV ad, launched on Friday, shows how the arrival of cases of Castle turn a New York rooftop garden get-together into a truly South African party. Dave Carruthers, brand marketing manager, SA Breweries, says Castle has launched its "most focused and most heavyweight" advertising campaign. From July to the year-end, Castle Lager will make 15 new TV advertisements, 13 prints ads, 20 radio ads, three outdoor billboards and a massive mural on Johannesburg's M1 highway. Carruthers says Castle has maintained its share of the SA beer market for seven years. It is one of the world's top 10 beer brands, and the No 1 beer in five African countries. Sales are growing rapidly on this continent and elsewhere.
Castle will continue with its slogans "The taste that has stood the test of time" and "Somewhat dry, somewhat bitter, never sweet", but in a contemporary style. Carruthers says that after much research Castle's marketers decided to create a more flexible, multi-layered communication strategy. "We have crafted a communication strategy with appeal right across SA's different cultures and languages." The marketing campaign is based on three pillars - its product quality, camaraderie of its drinkers and positioning as an SA icon. Carruthers says that while TV has wide appeal, Castle's press adverts will focus on the multi-layered approach and clear targeting of audiences.
A major part of this strategy is sports sponsorship. Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma seems to have liquor next on her agenda after banning tobacco sponsorships, although at this stage it seems only health warnings have been mooted. Castle holds some of SA's biggest sponsorships, including the Castle soccer premiership, Bafana Bafana and the national cricket team.
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