Innovations in Brewing
BBC News published a story today about innovation in the UK beer market. The UK brewing industry has been on the decline for the past few years, and with a slowdown in the economy pushing consumers toward more affordable brands, the high-end brands have been struggling to innovate without alienating the customers that have remained loyal.
The article discusses some of the more successful innovation ideas (pineapple, anyone?) and some that are still on the shelf, waiting for an audience, including one depicted in a disturbing “frankenbeer” image of what happens when lager and food coloring combine.
One firm that has been successful in innovation is Guinness, which patented the original widget that makes canned beer taste more like draft. Despite a general slowdown in the market, Guinness has managed a 2% gain in sales from last year. The company is testing Guinness Red, which will be lighter in color and taste than regular Guinness, and is aimed at consumers who like the brand but only drink it on rare occasions.
It’s an interesting story – and a great example of the need for innovation in a mature market.
Tags: beer, brewing, Guinness, InnoCentive
October 28th, 2008 at 3:49 am
Hello, Do something to help those hungry people in Africa or India,
I created this blog about that subject:
in http://tinyurl.com/5qlbzs
October 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hi there – thanks for reading our blog! InnoCentive actually has a long history of working with not-for-profit agencies and organizations to help people in developing countries. Check out the blog post just below this one to learn about one example. We also just announced that one of our Solvers helped design a solar powered router that will help impoverished children in India escape the sex trade. There are lots of other examples – you can find out more on our not-for-profit page – http://www.innocentive.com/notforprofit.php.