Raj Brewery Pvt Ltd, part of the Jawalakhel Group of Industries, is planning to launch Budweiser beer in Nepal. Udit Mediratta, marketing director of AB InBev South Asia, is coordinating with Jawalakhel Group of Industries to launch the popular international brand in Nepal. Sujita Pradhan of Republica caught up with Mediratta in Kathmandu on Friday. Excerpts of the talk:
Could you tell us about your role as marketing director for AB InBev South Asia?
I lead the marketing for global brands, and we have identified some of them as portfolio brands. There are 500 brands globally and we identify certain brands which we think have potential to go well cross the world. We call them global brands. To name of few, we have Budweiser, Corona and Stella. I lead the marketing for these brands, and they are in different stages of development. I think development comes from these global brands. We aim to make these brands successful in the market.
What are your plans for Budweiser in Nepal?
Budweiser is for young people. It is a premium beer brand, and basically goes well with some music and football. We want to market it among the youth of South Asia through high energy music and international football. We are launching it in May 2020. We want to provide opportunities to young and upcoming talents in music, and create a platform to make it big. As part of the platform, we will organize parties and music festivals.
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How important is Nepal for AB InBev? How do you see Nepal's beer industry shaping up?
Nepal is a very important market for us, and I think we are already late. We have very strong partnership with Raj Brewery in Nepal who can really help shape the beer culture here. They are able to bring in the entire portfolio in Nepal. Industry has been growing at a steady pace in Nepal, and definitely it is a positive sign. Also, there are not enough choices for Nepali consumers. So we have an opportunity to introduce world-class beer brands to the Nepalis consumers.
What do the brands Corona, Budweiser and Foster's stand for?
Budweiser is basically a brand that stands for young people who are in enterprising state of life – when you think you can achieve anything in the world. Corona is a brand whose idea is to encourage consumers to take a break from their busy and hectic lives. Foster's is basically an Australian thing where people have laid-back attitude to life.
How do you think Budweiser will shape Kathmandu's night life after its launch?
Kathmandu already has its own night life, and we would love to add our own touch to it. Budweiser will create a magic of beer culture in Nepal and energize the night life. A lot of people consume beer in clubs. Budweiser has a lot to do there.
Corona has been here in Nepal for about 5 years. How do you see its prospects?
For the last six months, I have been working on Corona. It is a beautiful brand. It is very distinctive and has unique land rituals which stand for disconnection with busy and hectic life. I think Corona is yet to scratch the market of Nepal, and it has a long way to go in Nepal. But Corona will surely show its magic in a few years' time. I see very good prospects for Corona in Nepal.
Corona Sunsets was a special event held in Nepal this year. Are more of such events in the offing?
Corona Sunsets was a very well-accepted event of this year. It was like a chill party where people could interact with each other as well as enjoy the vibe going on. Yes, the response was very good, and we would definitely bring more of such events.
