InBev Romania to invest €30 mln in publicity in 2007

“From the moment we penetrated the market until now, InBev has invested over €250 million (rate card) in publicity,” according to a declaration for Business Standard by Ghyka. InBev’s beer brands in Romania are Bergenbier, Stella Artois, Beck’s and Noroc.

According to the declarations of the four major Romanian beer producers InBev, United Romanian Breweries Bere Prod (URBB), SABMiller and Heineken, beer market publicity in 2007 was worth over €100 mln (rate card). Furthermore, URBB representatives indicated that they invested €15 mln (rate card) in publicity last year. URBB’s portfolio includes Tuborg, Carlsberg, Holsten, Skoll, Guinness and Kilkenny beers.

Last year, InBev posted sales of 3.9 million hectoliters of beer, 14.7 percent higher year-on-year, according to the company’s latest financial report.

InBev group’s revenue rose 7.1 percent, to €14.43 bln, from €13.3 bln in 2006. The group’s net profit advanced 41.5 percent in 2007, to €3 bln, from €2.12 bln year-on-year.

Last year, the domestic beer market exceeded €1 bln, or 19.4 million hectoliters. According to Ghyka, the beer market will increase a further 5 percent in 2008 year-on-year.

Major competitors are multinationals InBev, Heineken, URBB and Ursus Breweries, who together have some 80 percent of the market.