Cider can answer the consumer trend for variety and experimentation, just like wine did in the 1990s, but the industry needs to think beyond fruit and expand to new occasions, according to Heineken UK.
Heineken UK cider brand director Michael Gillane told the Cider Trends Summit 2014: “The bigger macro trends from drinks to TV to telephones show a thirst for variety and experimentation. You’ve got a beer industry that has done everything against the macro trends. The beer industry’s marketing model is still a caveman story; there has been a real lack of innovation. But cider is moving into the vacuum where beer has been pretty sleepy.
“In terms of volume, cider is still five times smaller than beer. But cider penetration has doubled since 2007 and there has been a broadening of the traditional user base - adding younger and more affluent consumers. Cider is seeing value added growth and value is up 90% in 10 years and so cider today, in volume terms, is where wine was in 1995. Wine is now 85% bigger in terms of value.
“We need to play to macro trends. In terms of innovation, we need to think more about category expansion and less about share steal. We have everything within our power to expand to new occasions and fruit flavours are fine, but we need to explore new flavours and not just in terms of fruit. We have to really drive our industry story right up to 2015 and beyond – this is the next phase of the cider journey.”
