At a specially-designed enclosure on Dublin’s South Dock, Diageo launched Ireland’s newest lager. Created by brewers at St James’s Gate, Rockshore is inspired by what Diageo Europe’s head of beer innovation Niki MacCorquodale calls “the rugged refreshing experience of the West coast of Ireland”. Think surfing afternoons ending up as sessions in a pub in Achill.
MacCorquodale, a native of Belfast, paints a romantic image. “Undoubtedly, one of the most captivating parts of Ireland, the west coast is home from home for many of us,” she says. “From weekend trips with mates, to the salty spray of the Atlantic sea, when the people, playlists and pit stops matter more than anything else in the world, at that moment in time.”
Rockshore is a lighter-tasting Irish lager available on draught and in bottles. The launch is supported by a campaign involving BBDO Dublin, Carat, WHPR and Verve. Media and activations get underway next month and will run throughout the summer. Pictured are Niki MacCorquodale, head of beer innovation, Diageo Europe and brewer Yvonne Cleary.
Rugged and playful as Achill’s Keel Beach might be, Diageo also wants to push Rockshore as a beer with a lighter taste and ‘feel’. Its alcohol by volume (ABV) is four per cent, while other lagers like Heineken and Budweiser are 4.5 per cent. A bottle of Rockshore has 106 calories, around 40 calories less than most lagers and just six calories more than Coors Light.
“People are increasingly looking for more choice,” MacCorquodale says, “particularly beers with a refreshing and light taste. Brewed using four natural ingredients, Rockshore is the best light tasting lager our brewers have ever created and we can’t wait for people to try it. The West coast is home from home for many of us, recognised for its rocky shoreline.
“From weekend trips with mates, to the salty spray of the Atlantic sea, when the people, playlists and pit stops matter more than anything else in the world, at that moment in time. Rockshore is a fun brand that represents modern Irish consumers,” she added. The agencies involved in the launch were BBDO Dublin, Carat, Wilson Hartnell PR and Verve.
The launch will be supported by a major marketing campaign comprising TV, out of home, digital, PR and experiential, all kicking off from the start of April. Diageo plans a series of partnerships and consumer experiences the summer. “We don’t disclose figures but it’s fair to say we are going big, the brand won’t be missed this summer,” MacCorquodale insists.
A native of Belfast, MacCorquodale joined Diageo five years ago from C&C where she was innovation brand manager for Magners Irish Cider. She became senior innovation manager and later senior brand manager for beer in Western Europe. Her role was soon extended beyond beers and she now heads up innovations for the group’s Baileys Irish Cream.
Based on Nielsen’s cross category report to the end of last year, lager has a 54 per cent share of pub beer sales, while it has an 82 per cent share of the off-trade beer market. The Irish Brewers Association scored lager at 60.9 per cent of the overall beer market in its annual report for 2016, up from 60.4 per cent in 2015 – after losing share to ale and stout.
MacCorquodale will be hoping that Rockshore can follow Hop House 13 – Diageo’s answer to the demand for new craft beers. In a market where 40 per cent of consumers were trying craft beer, Diageo’s mainstream brands were under pressure. As Hop House was ‘her baby’, she takes pride in how it became the most successful beer launch in Ireland in three decades.
Diageo recently rolled out a new “full flavoured” non-alcoholic lager called Open Gate Pure Brew, with an ABC of 0.5 per cent. Lead brewer John Casey described Pure Brew as hoppy with fruity aroma and “a nice hint of citrus flavour along with a smooth, malty finish”. The brew is targeted at non-alcoholic beer drinkers and people reducing their alcohol intake.
Independent tests by MMR Research among 130 lager drinkers aged between 25 and 40 pointed to seven in 10 of the respondents being surprised to learn that the new brew, made from a special yeast strain, was a non-alcoholic beer. Pure Brew is available in 330ml bottles and was rolled out to 250 pubs in Dublin and nationally in bars and off-licences.
