Cascade Premium Lager

[McAlmanac]

You may know that Cascade Premium Lager has been rebranded and downsized from 375 bottles to 330ml bottles with no reduction in price. I read some marketing waffle from Ben Summons, premium beer marketing manager of Fosters, in defence of it and felt rather outraged. Hence, I decided to email him at ben.summons@fostersgroup.com:

I have read a report that Cascade Premium Lager is to downsize from 375ml to 330 ml with no change in price – effectively a price increase by stealth. My partner and I are regular buyers of Cascade Premium Lager in slabs for home consumption – this will no longer be the case and we will be sticking with our other favourite, Coopers Pale Ale.

I noted your comments (as premium beer marketing manager) that premium beer drinkers purchase on brand rather than price. Whilst your market research may well indicate this, Australians also have a great “bullshit meter”. They don’t enjoy being taken for a ride and this seems to be another case of a historic Australian brand being stuffed by marketers.

Cascade Premium Lager is ranked number six in volume sales in the Australian premium beer market. Good luck trying to maintain that – I’ll think of you during the last 45ml of every James Boag’s I drink at the pub.

He had the politeness to reply:

I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the recent changes to Cascade. We appreciate the feed back and respect your opinion on this. We don't take decisions like this lightly, and we spent a lot of time talking to premium and Cascade drinkers about the changes we were proposing. By enlarge the changes were endorsed, and ultimately we proceeded with the genuine motivation of upgrading the image of Cascade to keep it healthy for the future.

While the article did not mention it, we agree with you - price is an important factor. We hope that in time you appreciate that Cascade Premium Lager still represents great value amongst its competitive set of products.

Well, the bottom line is - less beer, same money. I urge all beer lovers to email this guy - ben.summons@fostersgroup.com - and let him know. And boycott Cascade Premium Lager.

[smithy]

and we spent a lot of time talking to premium and Cascade drinkers about the changes we were proposing. By enlarge the changes were endorsed, and ultimately we proceeded with the genuine motivation of upgrading the image of Cascade to keep it healthy for the future

So they asked the punters if they would appreciate getting less beer for the same price and the majority were happy with that??? I doubt it..

It seems to be a recent trend for beers to be 330ml now.

I'll stick to my 375ml bottles of vertical blinds (insert other) thanks...

[godoubleblues]

I reckon years ago Boags premium was in 330 or 345 ml stubbies and they changed to 375 ml stubbies to compete with the at that time enlarging premium beer market, they might be smart if they keep it as it is

Cascade must be having sweeping changes as they have changed the label on their light beers as well
oh well, plenty of better beers out there than cascade to satisfy my taste buds

[LBT]

What about so-called "Imported" beers still at imported prices as well. Stella: Brewed in Abbotsford, Vic. Carlesberg brewed in Malaysia, Becks & Heineken brewed here at Thebarton. Still paying through the nose for glorified local beers.

[Pseudo]

I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the recent changes to Cascade. We appreciate the feed back and respect your opinion on this. We don't take decisions like this lightly, and we spent a lot of time talking to premium and Cascade drinkers about the changes we were proposing. By enlarge the changes were endorsed, and ultimately we proceeded with the genuine motivation of upgrading the image of Cascade to keep it healthy for the future.

... and "By enlarge"? WTF???

FWIW, I'm sitting here with a cascade light in my hand, and it's still 375 ml. Is the change happening to all their beers or just the lager? Has it actually happened yet?

[Pseudo]

Right, I've just fired off the following tersely worded email:

G'day

I have just discovered that Cascade Premium Lager will now be sold in 330 ml bottles instead of 375 ml.

Presumably the trendy young beer drinkers to whom Cascade is marketed will quite happily pay the same price for less beer, suffering the illusion that they look cool because they're holding a slim bottle like all those funky imported brews.

Yes, I'm sure such people exist. However I am not one of them. Good luck with your new target market, but rest assured that I personally will not purchase so much as a single stubby of Cascade Premium Lager until the volume of the product is restored - at the same price.

[Psyber]

I sent a brief one. "Oh well it is not competition to consider for Dortmunder anymore."
I also asked if they were going to try it with Cascade Light, in which case I'll start checking the light alternatives.

[Dissident]

Ben,

I'm confused with Foster's decision to reduce the size of thee Cascade Premium Lager brand. I really enjoy (read: enjoyed) this drop in the past but in all seriousness, how can you reduce the content and leave it at the same price?

How exactly did you sell this during the market research?

"Hi. We have an idea. We want to reduce the beer in our Lager brand. Would you still buy it?"

"Well, if it was cheaper, of course!"

"It's not cheaper"

"Oh. Ok. Well what do I get out of it then?"

"You get to drink our beer and look as cool as Carlsberg"

"No."

I read that you are trying to compete with other brands like Heineken, Becks, Carlsberg and Stella. Well Ben, you can shake up your "image" all you want but I assure you, reduction isn't going to win anyone over.

If I was an executive of Heineken, Becks, Carlsberg or Stella, and I wanted to get ahead of the competition - do you know what I'd do?

Increase the content.

Regards,

David

[am Bays]

Simple solution. do what I do, drink West End Draught, beautiful!!!

Simple man, simple tastes!!!

[zipzap]

Has anyone notice Pale Ale prices have been sneaking up quite steadily in recent times. Although you can sometimes get it for 36.99, it's not uncommon to see it go for 40-41. Think I'll go back to Dr Tims and decant it

[heater31]

Has anyone notice Pale Ale prices have been sneaking up quite steadily in recent times. Although you can sometimes get it for 36.99, it's not uncommon to see it go for 40-41. Think I'll go back to Dr Tims and decant it

fu*k that shite right off. I am going to tap into my old man's knowledge of brewing and make my own paleys and sparkling and then get smashed for less than 10 bucks every weekend

[MW]

Hahn Premium did the exact same thing and I bought it thinking nothing was changed....I was fu*cking furious when I went to put my stubbie into my stubbie holder and the @#$@# thing fell through it

[Cambridge Clarrie]

Coopers Light is a shocking drop but Coopers Premium Light isn't too bad...

You can usually pick a carton up for about $24.00.

[MagicKiwi]

If you want more mls for your dollar, big Amsterdam cans on special at BWS for $39. Big big.

[The Real Number 3]

Simple solution. do what I do, drink West End Draught, beautiful!!!

Simple man, simple tastes!!!

Here here! Best thing said all day

[Strawb]

What about so-called "Imported" beers still at imported prices as well. Stella: Brewed in Abbotsford, Vic. Carlesberg brewed in Malaysia, Becks & Heineken brewed here at Thebarton. Still paying through the nose for glorified local beers.

LBT my good man I live here in Werribee and my local bottle shop has all the imported stuff he refuses to get the local made stuff of imported stuff. He tried it got too many complaints from his customers. So we look after his business by still purchasing quality beers and he looks after us by making sure he only gets in the best.

[Psyber]

What about so-called "Imported" beers still at imported prices as well. Stella: Brewed in Abbotsford, Vic. Carlesberg brewed in Malaysia, Becks & Heineken brewed here at Thebarton. Still paying through the nose for glorified local beers.

LBT my good man I live here in Werribee and my local bottle shop has all the imported stuff he refuses to get the local made stuff of imported stuff. He tried it got too many complaints from his customers. So we look after his business by still purchasing quality beers and he looks after us by making sure he only gets in the best.

It's like Scotch - only buy the Scotch bottled in Scotland!

[mighty_tiger_79]

If you want more mls for your dollar, big Amsterdam cans on special at BWS for $39. Big big.

i got them for $32 at woolys liquor a couple of weeks ago

absolute bargain

[BigDaddy]

They just had a bloke from Choice Magazine on the Today Show talking about products that have decreased in size and kept the price the same. His main example was Cascade. Not only have the bottles decreased in size, the alcohol content has gone from 5.2% to 5.0%. He was extremely sceptical about the amount of 'customer research' that would have been performed.

[Pseudo]

They just had a bloke from Choice Magazine on the Today Show talking about products that have decreased in size and kept the price the same. His main example was Cascade. Not only have the bottles decreased in size, the alcohol content has gone from 5.2% to 5.0%. He was extremely sceptical about the amount of 'customer research' that would have been performed.

I assume this increases the profit margin that little bit further because it would shave a teensy bit off the alcohol excise. That is truly pathetic.