Beerlao has dominated the Laos beer market since 1973. But when it launched Beerlao Gold to compete against premium brands Heineken and Tiger, it found customers were unwilling to pay a higher price than their already beloved Beerlao.
To connect with consumers, the packaging was redesigned in a way that repositioned Beerlao Gold as a symbol of Laotian success. The original product story was replaced with a focus on Khao Kai Noy, one of Laos’ most precious rice varieties. New graphics were created with the help of a local art teacher, while the iconic Beerlao orange was used on the bottle’s neck as a mark of reassurance and pride. A gold palette reflected the Laotian consumer’s favourite things – silk, premium whisky and jewellery.
The rebrand in February 2014 resulted in an impressive 883% surge in annual sales growth and surpassed the Feb-May 2014 sales target by 135%. It even allowed for a $5USD increase in price per case.
