Hello. In this Newsround I talked about McEwan’s Export and how I put the rumours of its imminent demise as a mistake. Turns out, perhaps not for the first time, I was wrong.
Last weekend I was sent a notice by a friend that announced one pub had reached their last keg of the stuff. The next day I went down to the only place in Leith I knew used to carry it only to find it replaced by Caffrey’s Stout. Short of travelling to Aberdeen, it had looked like I had already consumed my last pint of draught Export.
So now, McEwan’s, a brewery that used to produce some of Scotland’s most popular and bestselling ales and codified its most traditional outputs has a limited presence in bars.
So where was it McEwan’s went wrong exactly? At what point where things doomed?
The short answer is: not a clue. But with the benefit of hindsight, there are points at which we can maybe identify missteps and areas where the brand was perhaps unfortunate. So to help all you business folk, indulge this arts/journo graduate with a fondness for beer with thoughts on what happened.
McEwan’s, Export especially, suffered from one major image problem: it was for old guys in dingy pubs. Not a very sustainable or dynamic target market. There’s an uncited accusation that Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) brewing neglected the brand in favour of international outputs and presences on the Wikipedia page.
Nevertheless, it is entirely believable. There was a strong but waning domestic market. You can see the S&N execs pre-craft beer boom having a really tough time deciding whether they try to get the world drinking more Sagres or McEwan’s Export.
“Hey 90s young person, here’s some inoffensive Portuguese lager from sunny Lisbon, or this, ehm, brown stuff that some fella called Shuggie drinks in between his lunchtime pie and fish supper tea.”
Guinness’ marketing proves that with presence, you can emphasise the original, premium and noticeable aspect of the beer. People still talk about some of the more famous adverts. In recent years it’s also managed to tap into styles to become almost an accessory, but I think this was an ability to tap into more solidly laid marketing foundations.
But if we look at another brand, Beamish, that’s a beer that is seeing somewhat of a renaissance in the UK, possibly as a cool person’s drink who thinks Guinness isn’t cool enough any more. But there has been astute marketing behind it.
Now, Beamish Stout is one beer. The McEwan’s brand encompassed more than that. Regardless, no attempt was made to modernise its image that would have helped it negotiate conditions less in its control. Namely not fitting the craft beer boom, the cask ale revival or the constant march of lager domination.
For me, that was the misstep. For the Danish execs looking at a sheet in Copenhagen and asking each other: “What do you mean we still make that?” perhaps it was just a good business. After all, you guys only know about this because I am telling you about it. Then again, maybe that’s part of the point.
Unqualified tips for keeping beer in production as unsolicited advice to the financial services industry:
- Don’t rest on your laurels – don’t assume popularity and current need = timelessness.
- Anticipate your target market changing and being alive to what comes next
- If you get bought up by a big conglomerate, pray to god your previous owners didn’t neglect your marketing for years
The News:
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
Decumulation wave is about to hit – are firms ready for it?
Aberdeen Adviser’s Andy Zanelli cites our Advice Gap research.
Source: FT Adviser
St James’s Place refunds hundreds of clients after double-charging error
Mike a source in this one.
Source: The Telegraph
How AI is driving hyper-personalisation in wealth management
Saturn and GBST contributed to this one.
Source: The WealthNet
How considering vegetable peelers can inform your product design
Alison with the headline of the year.
Source: Professional Adviser
What an Andy Burnham government could mean for tax
FSL on PA TV.
Source: Professional Adviser
Copia Capital: The case for short duration bonds
Richard Warne in Wealth DFM
Source: Wealth DFM
Foreign investors are snapping up British stocks — why aren’t we?
7IM’s Ben Kumar’s latest Times column.
Source: The Times
Troy Clutterbuck – Value for money should be assessed across all pensions
Cushon features in Professional Pensions.
Source: Professional Pensions
Nest ‘continuing to improve transfer processes’ as average sits at 17.7 days
According the Orgio Transfer Index.
Source: FT Adviser
The ingredients to a successful co-manufacturing partnership
PortfolioMetrix in PA.
Source: Professional Adviser
ADVISERS
Andy Wealthall: Is there still a place for annual suitability reviews?
A call not to confuse “more flexibility with less oversight”.
Source: Professional Adviser
Phil Bray: Busting the biggest myth about online fee disclosure
But what’s the second biggest myth about online fee disclosure?
Source: Money Marketing
PLATFORMS
AJ Bell urges chancellor to end pension tax speculation
Calls for clarity.
Source: Money Marketing
INVESMENT & WEALTH MANAGERS
Vanguard launches targeted support for first time investors
It is available to clients via Vanguard’s online UK Personal Investor platform at no extra cost.
Source: Citywire NMA
£6.3bn in Premium Bonds untouched for a decade
Focus on the NS&I savings vehicle.
Source: Financial Planning Today
FCA launches new push to revive London share trading
Push to encouragement investment and companies to list.
Source: FT
Cash ISA balances jump £38bn during ‘ISA season’
The UK consumers’ love of cash continues.
Source: Money Age
REGULATION & POLICY
FCA: advisers should ‘use evidence’ to monitor consumer duty outcomes
You should use soap when washing your hands as well.
Source: FT Adviser
FCA bereavement survey sent to just 12 firms – ‘A very small dip in the ocean’
Questions over whether it should be broader.
Source: Professional Adviser
HMRC recovers £104m in voluntary landlord tax disclosure
Due to better data monitoring.
Source: FT Adviser
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
Big pension funds unite to unlock £1bn for promising UK companies
Aims to tap in to the “next wave of British innovation”.
Source: The Times
Steve Webb: Why advisers need to get ahead of RCDC
Steve Webb highlights a new scheme for advisers to brush up on.
Source: Money Marketing
AI
Lloyds Wealth to launch AI simplified advice service
The launch, set to take place before 2030, is part of the Lloyds Banking Group’s Accelerate 2030 plans.
Source: Financial Planning Today
TRADE & ECONOMY
What are PuFins and how do Andy Burnham and John Healey plan to use them?
“State-owned institutions are aimed at spurring private sector activity and mayors want them to work more flexibly.”
Source: FT
Bank of England holds rates despite energy pressures
Held at 3.75%
Source: Citywire NMA
Deemed and non-dom tax receipts increase by 9% in 2024/25
According to HMRC figures.
Source: Wealth Investment News
CRAZY CAT STORIES
Mystery over Murt the cat’s ‘shameless’ food stealing spree
A cat burglar, one might say.
Source: BBC News
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
Vini Reilly, The Durutti Column and Another Return
Following on from the Factory Records theme last week – one of the original artists associated with the record label has a new album out.
Source: The Noise of Art
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
