Budvar steadily gaining ground in Malta
When last year, Master Group started importing and distributing the Czech premium lager Budvar, produced by Czech company Bude?ovickì Budvar, the company was tapping a market which seemed already saturated with other leading brands. However, Master...
When last year, Master Group started importing and distributing the Czech premium lager Budvar, produced by Czech company Bude?ovickì Budvar, the company was tapping a market which seemed already saturated with other leading brands. However, Master Group was never a company to let itself be dispirited and took up the challenge with an open mind and with only a few crates of expectations.
"After a year since Budvar started to make its way to the shelves in selected bars, clubs and supermarkets, the brand seems to have picked up an encouraging interest from a fast-growing consumer base who appreciates the genuine and prestigious roots of this brand. Sales have been increasing at a steady pace confirming that the market is always open to experience new quality brands," said Claudio Camilleri, head sales and marketing at Master Group.
Budvar is in fact a brand that is considered to be among the best premium lagers in the world. Suffice to say it is present in over 50 countries across all continents and is in our country thanks to a representation agreement reached between Master Group and Czech brewery Bude?ovickì Budvar.
Bude?ovickì Budvar brewery is one of the most successful Czech export food and beverage producing companies, with 25 per cent of all beer exports from the Czech Republic originating from the prestigious brewery.
"With the importation of this new premium lager, we are confirming Master Group's resolve to increase its competitive edge and to sustain its active role within an increasingly sophisticated market. With the advent of Bude?ovickì Budvar in Malta, we are anticipating an exciting new challenge for the company, a challenge that has already started translating itself into a number of new attractive business opportunities," said Mr Camilleri.
"Our aim is not to become a major beer player since there are three brands that dominate this market. We want to propose a premium beer to a niche market and to all those interested in drinking such a beer, and we are managing well."
Bude?ovickì Budvar began to export original lager almost immediately after its foundation, firstly into neighbouring countries and in the beginning of the last century it started its export activities to overseas countries. Some of its largest markets are in Germany, Great Britain, Slovak Republic, Austria, Italy, Russia, France, Spain, Hungary and Poland.
Prior to Bude?ovickì Budvar brewery as a national enterprise was the Czech Share Brewery founded in 1895 and its activity directly related to the historical tradition of brewing of beer in Cesk‚ Budejovice which dates back to the 13th century.
The initiative for its foundation came mainly from Czech brewers. The Czech Share Brewery produced the first batch of beer on October 1, 1895. Up to the end of 1896, sales of beer represented 51,100 hectolitres.
In 1967 an independent legal subject was separated from the former South Bohemian Brewery thus leading to Bude?ovickì Budvar as a national enterprise. This enterprise oriented its activity mainly to export based on tradition, valuable registered trademarks and quality of beer.
Further significant development of the enterprise on the domestic market and abroad came after 1989 when the present management managed to almost double the sales of beer. Today, the annual sale of beer represents a million hectolitres. Despite great growth in the volume of production, the traditional quality and typical flavour of Bude?ovickì Budvar remains the same to this day.
Budvar has been the source of many legal disputes between two beer companies, which have been claiming the right to use it. In the Czech Republic, the word Budweiser represents Budweiser Budvar (Cesk‚ Budejovice Bude?ovickì Budvar), that is the brewery based in. In the late 19th century though, Anheuser-Busch, a US-based beer company, started marketing its product as Budweiser in the United States.
The existence of the Czech beer of the same name has caused problems in some markets. A long-standing agreement with the Czech brewery divided the rights to the name "Budweiser", so that the Anheuser-Busch product is marketed as "Bud" in countries like France. In the UK, both companies are allowed to call their brand Budweiser. In the meantime it has been reported that Anheuser-Busch has made offers to buy out the Czech brewing company in order to secure global rights to the name "Budweiser" for both beers, but such offers have never been met.
After 62 years, in 2002 Bude?ovickì Budvar managed to enter the market in the US and Canada where, due to trademark legal disputes with the American company Anheuser-Busch it exports its original premium lager under the brand name of Czechvar.
In November 2006, after a nine-year long effort, the High People's Court in Beijing, China, ruled in favour of Bude?ovickì Budvar making the brand definitely registered and valid in China thus accessing this very attractive Chinese market. Bude?ovickì Budvar has scored similar winners in trademark disputes in many countries, such as Switzerland, Great Britain, Australia, New Zeađland, South Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Portugal, Denmark and Finland.
An important development happened earlier last year when a historic alliance was reached between Bude?ovickì Budvar and Anheuser-Busch in which the latter became the US importer of Bude?ovickì Budvar.
"After a year since Budvar started to make its way to the shelves in selected bars, clubs and supermarkets, the brand seems to have picked up an encouraging interest from a fast-growing consumer base who appreciates the genuine and prestigious roots of this brand. Sales have been increasing at a steady pace confirming that the market is always open to experience new quality brands," said Claudio Camilleri, head sales and marketing at Master Group.
Budvar is in fact a brand that is considered to be among the best premium lagers in the world. Suffice to say it is present in over 50 countries across all continents and is in our country thanks to a representation agreement reached between Master Group and Czech brewery Bude?ovickì Budvar.
Bude?ovickì Budvar brewery is one of the most successful Czech export food and beverage producing companies, with 25 per cent of all beer exports from the Czech Republic originating from the prestigious brewery.
"With the importation of this new premium lager, we are confirming Master Group's resolve to increase its competitive edge and to sustain its active role within an increasingly sophisticated market. With the advent of Bude?ovickì Budvar in Malta, we are anticipating an exciting new challenge for the company, a challenge that has already started translating itself into a number of new attractive business opportunities," said Mr Camilleri.
"Our aim is not to become a major beer player since there are three brands that dominate this market. We want to propose a premium beer to a niche market and to all those interested in drinking such a beer, and we are managing well."
Bude?ovickì Budvar began to export original lager almost immediately after its foundation, firstly into neighbouring countries and in the beginning of the last century it started its export activities to overseas countries. Some of its largest markets are in Germany, Great Britain, Slovak Republic, Austria, Italy, Russia, France, Spain, Hungary and Poland.
Prior to Bude?ovickì Budvar brewery as a national enterprise was the Czech Share Brewery founded in 1895 and its activity directly related to the historical tradition of brewing of beer in Cesk‚ Budejovice which dates back to the 13th century.
The initiative for its foundation came mainly from Czech brewers. The Czech Share Brewery produced the first batch of beer on October 1, 1895. Up to the end of 1896, sales of beer represented 51,100 hectolitres.
In 1967 an independent legal subject was separated from the former South Bohemian Brewery thus leading to Bude?ovickì Budvar as a national enterprise. This enterprise oriented its activity mainly to export based on tradition, valuable registered trademarks and quality of beer.
Further significant development of the enterprise on the domestic market and abroad came after 1989 when the present management managed to almost double the sales of beer. Today, the annual sale of beer represents a million hectolitres. Despite great growth in the volume of production, the traditional quality and typical flavour of Bude?ovickì Budvar remains the same to this day.
Budvar has been the source of many legal disputes between two beer companies, which have been claiming the right to use it. In the Czech Republic, the word Budweiser represents Budweiser Budvar (Cesk‚ Budejovice Bude?ovickì Budvar), that is the brewery based in. In the late 19th century though, Anheuser-Busch, a US-based beer company, started marketing its product as Budweiser in the United States.
The existence of the Czech beer of the same name has caused problems in some markets. A long-standing agreement with the Czech brewery divided the rights to the name "Budweiser", so that the Anheuser-Busch product is marketed as "Bud" in countries like France. In the UK, both companies are allowed to call their brand Budweiser. In the meantime it has been reported that Anheuser-Busch has made offers to buy out the Czech brewing company in order to secure global rights to the name "Budweiser" for both beers, but such offers have never been met.
After 62 years, in 2002 Bude?ovickì Budvar managed to enter the market in the US and Canada where, due to trademark legal disputes with the American company Anheuser-Busch it exports its original premium lager under the brand name of Czechvar.
In November 2006, after a nine-year long effort, the High People's Court in Beijing, China, ruled in favour of Bude?ovickì Budvar making the brand definitely registered and valid in China thus accessing this very attractive Chinese market. Bude?ovickì Budvar has scored similar winners in trademark disputes in many countries, such as Switzerland, Great Britain, Australia, New Zeađland, South Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Portugal, Denmark and Finland.
An important development happened earlier last year when a historic alliance was reached between Bude?ovickì Budvar and Anheuser-Busch in which the latter became the US importer of Bude?ovickì Budvar.