Singha clinches B400m deal with Chelsea FC

[PeteC]

Singha clinches B400m deal with Chelsea FC

* Published: 6/08/2010 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: Business

Singha Corporation, the brewer of Singha beer, expects that sales of its alcoholic beverages will shrink to 70% of total sales in the next five years from 85% currently.

In the next five years, sales of non-alcoholic beverages will increase to 20% of total sales from 15% currently and sales from new businesses such as packed rice will represent 10%, group marketing manager Piti BhiromBhakdisaid yesterday.

"Singha will have business in both local and overseas markets. Overseas marketing activities will help drive up our sales in the future as well," he said.

Singha Corp is trying to lift the profile its brand further in international markets. It clinched a sponsorship deal worth 350 million baht last month to be the official beer for Manchester United Football Club in the United Kingdom.

Yesterday, it announced the second sponsorship deal with Chelsea as the club's official beer for four years.

Under the new deal worth 8 million (or 400 million baht), Singha Corp can sell its beer, soda and drinking water at the Stamford Bridge stadium in London with its corporate logo appearing in the football field for four years.

"Chelsea has up to 100 million football fans around the world and if they can see our brand logo in every match for four years, our products will have more opportunities to reach them as well," Mr Piti said.

Chatchai Wiratyosin, the company's marketing director, said it could also use pictures of Manchester United and Chelsea football players in its advertising in both Thailand and overseas.

Singha Corp will spend 2 billion baht in total on international marketing activities including sponsorships in the next three to five years.

Singha Corp serves the markets in Europe through a German brewer and an English bottler. It also has plans to find a partner over there to help develop products to serve the specific needs in the continent.

At home, Mr Piti said, the 100-billion-baht local beer market had been declining for two years. Even if the situation gets better this year, the market could grow by just 2-3%.

This year, Singha Corp forecasts its total sales will reach 80 billion baht, up from 70 billion baht last year.

[caller]

You know, Chang have been sponsoring Everton for a good few years now, but not once I have seen their product on sale in the UK (apart from at Thai festivals), so I assume the marketing is for Thailand?

Singha is really expensive in the supermarkets that stock it (Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's - maybe others) and can't really compete with the quality or price of continental lagers also readily available.

As most footie fans will find a pub to have a pre and post-match beer rather than pay the exorbitant fees charged once through the turnstile, I guess the latest scheme will also be for Thai and other markets?

Still, more money for the club!

[Big Boy]

You know, Chang have been sponsoring Everton for a good few years now, but not once I have seen their product on sale in the UK (apart from at Thai festivals), so I assume the marketing is for Thailand?

It's plentiful in this little bubble we call Bristol and Bath. In fact I was drinking Chang at a funeral only 7 days ago.

[caller]

You know, Chang have been sponsoring Everton for a good few years now, but not once I have seen their product on sale in the UK (apart from at Thai festivals), so I assume the marketing is for Thailand?

It's plentiful in this little bubble we call Bristol and Bath. In fact I was drinking Chang at a funeral only 7 days ago.

What stores sell it down there BB?

[BaaBaa.]

You know, Chang have been sponsoring Everton for a good few years now, but not once I have seen their product on sale in the UK (apart from at Thai festivals), so I assume the marketing is for Thailand?

It's plentiful in this little bubble we call Bristol and Bath. In fact I was drinking Chang at a funeral only 7 days ago.

What stores sell it down there BB?

Why would you want it? Decent lager is available in England!

[caller]

Why would you want it? Decent lager is available in England!

I don't and I agree with you, as per my earlier post. I'm just curious as I have never seen it for sale here.

[BaaBaa.]

Why would you want it? Decent lager is available in England!

I don't and I agree with you, as per my earlier post. I'm just curious as I have never seen it for sale here.

As you were.

[PeteC]

What's not understood in the halls or power at these breweries is that Thai beer simply isn't that good as compared to beer and ale in many other countries, especially Europe. Some bright MBA has apparently convinced them to spend millions, but will we ever see the return bottom line 4-5 years from now? No way. The MBA will be gone, it will all be forgotten, no publication will have set their alarm clock to check things and report, and the local share holders are probably asleep as well. See several dozen other threads on here for further reference. Pete

[Big Boy]

What stores sell it down there BB?

All of the Oriental shops. eg:

http://shop.waiyeehong.com/index.php?ma ... word=chang

[Big Boy]

You could try Odd Bins http://www.oddbins.com/content/content.asp?pageId=chang

[caller]

Oh okay, I should have qualified my earlier answer by including oriental stores, certainly the biggies like Wing Yip sold it in London and a few of the smaller indepedent stores. I was thinking more of mainstream stores?

[caller]

Thanks BB, only saw the 'oddbin' post after I posted my other reply. I wasn't aware they were still going, they cut back on a lot of their London stores the other year. The two nearest to where I used to live both closed down (Richmond Hill and Norbiton branches).

[Big Boy]

What about Odd Bins?

[Big Boy]

Hmmmm....... must be a new kind of Forum. You guess the question, and provide the answer 15 minutes before I ask the question.