Romania: URBB invests 1 mil euros to promote Holstein

United Romanian Breweries Bereprod (URBB), the producer of Tuborg and Skol, this year will invest one million euros in promoting the Holsten beer brand, Ziarul Financiar published April 18.

The investment will help sustain the company's growth in sales and consolidate the position of the brand on the market. "In 2006, Holsten witnessed a 70-75% increase in terms of the volume of sales against 2005, to more than 100,000 hectolitres. This year we hope our volume of sales will increase by 50% against 2006, and exceed 150,000 hectolitres," stated Shachar Shaine, chairman of URBB. According to the URBB's chairman, Holsten's volume of sales increased 10% in the first three months of 2007 alone, against the same period last year.

Holsten, a brand positioned on the premium segment of the beer market, was taken over by Carlsberg in 2004, entering URBB's portfolio in the summer of 2005. Romania was the first country, after Germany, to be granted a licence to produce it. "We saw that there was room in our portfolio for Holsten, and decided to take over the brand," said Shaine. Holsten accounts for 10% of the premium beer segment and for 1% of the whole beer market, with the majority of sales being bottled beer, according to company information.