Whatever happened

to Premium Peter? A
Pure Blonde case
study












Case Study Analysis by:
Name: Tan Ee Boon
Student Admin No.: 15997728
Module: Strategic Marketing 310

1. How could shifting or refining the market strengthen Pure Blondes current
competitive advantage? Discuss the advantages/disadvantages or redefining its
market as low-carbohydrate instead of premium.

Answer: Prior to the shift, Pure Blonde was vying for market shares in the premium
beer market which was becoming increasingly crowded with new entrants entering
the arena every now and then. The market was overcrowded with a large number of
premium beers who shows little differentiation from the others. While Pure Blonde
could have stayed on and leverage on its dominants and well-established brand
image the market and compete with its competitors, the move to market its product
as a low-carbohydrate from the initial premium beer that it built its success on was
strategically crafted.

By redefining its market, Pure Blonde was not dropping the Premium Peter to exploit
a whole new different target group of customers but merely going in from another
angle and hitting on the Premium Peter group from a slightly different perspective.
Pure Blonde, which has long fixed the image of being a premium beer in the mind of
its consumers was adding an health element to the premium that it offers to further
attract and entice the Premium Peters who identifies low carbohydrate diet as a
good thing to continue its support for the beer. The shift has allows the Pure Blonde
to better associate itself with the Premium Peter segment and open up doors for
customers who are appealed by the healthy low carbohydrate content of the beer.
So the shift, if anything had definitely benefitted Pure Blonde as it improved and
further strengthen its brand image and its competitive advantage over the other
brands of beer.

The main advantage that Fosters saw with refining its position would be to attain a
differentiation and rise above from the increasingly crowded market of premium
beers. Other advantages that shift could bring about would be an improved brand
image in the mind of its consumers for showing concerns and meeting the health
needs of the populations and targeting on a growing trend in the market before the
its competitors can do so to gain a competitive advantage when future competition
arises.

The disadvantages on the other hand lies in the fact that while these Premium Peters
acknowledge that a low carbohydrate beer is a good thing it did not openly
demonstrate its support towards the move, therefore Pure Blonde is putting itself at
risks of not aligning itself to the attitude and beliefs of the Premium Peters.
Secondly, venturing into a market where few has attempted to and succeeded Pure
Blonde is putting to risk the possibility of losing the popularity of the brand in the
market should the venture fails. Finally, the shift would not breathe confidence into
investors and the public as the brand might be deemed to be doing badly in the face
of rising competition which triggered the needs for repositioning.






































2. You are the Pure Blonde Brand Manager. Develop a phantom customer profile for
the female segment that appears to be emerging. What do you believe are two key
aspects they are interested in with regards to beer? Use this informational to
develop a perceptual map.

Answer: A feasible segment of customers to look into will be professional working
female who are single and patronises night spots but does not want to be looking
too masculine drinking beer.

The 2 key aspects that they seek in beer would be a masculine feel but does not
entirely wipe out the feminine outlook of females drinking the beer and a beer that
they can consume without fear of adding to their waistline.

Customer Profile
Female
Aged between 25 36
Single and seeking partners
Professional working adults with successful office bound careers
Like to look intimidating
Prefers beverages that are low in calories and mild in taste
Like to be recognised for their success but not be overwhelmed
Want to be look upon the same way as their male counterparts are and not
be discriminated
Socialise after working hours at night spots


3. Armed with your customer profile and perceptual map developed in Q2, what
would your recommendations be to the Marketing Director at Fosters?

Answer: I would recommend for the beer to be packaged in a more feminine
manner to appeal to the targeted segment of female who wants to able to be
consume beers with their male counterparts but yet not in a manner that they
would look overly masculine. The bottle would also clearly reflect the low-calories
content of the beer which would appeal to this group of drinkers.

Beer being served in draught would be served in specially crafted glass that is similar
to that of cocktail but yet carries with it a tinge of masculinity.

Price-wise, the beer could be charged at a premium as the targeted group of female
customers are professionals who are singles and bearing few or no responsibilities. It
would be also be important for the beer to be charged at a premium due to their
intention to be intimidating to other and good looking and definitely not want to be
associated or seen drinking a low priced beer.

The distribution of the beer could be mainly at nightspots where working adults
patronises after a long day of work or at dining places such as tapas bars where
drinking of water together with food is common.

The most factor to take note would be to introduce a beer under another name. The
word blonde would probably not appeal or reflect very well to the ladies and ladies
would avoid being associated with it. Hence it would be advisable for the marketing
director to roll out the beer under a different name, probably one with a celebratory
feel that allow these female to feel acknowledge and proud of what they have
achieved.



































4. Look at the Premium Peter customer profile in 2004 in Exhibit 1. Do you believe
that Premium Peter still exists or has the segment completely disappeared? How
could this affect the strategy and implementation of Pure Blonde?

Answer: