KBL launches Captain Morgan Gold in Kenya

Captain David Phillip "Captain Morgan"(centre), KBL Managing Director Jane Karuku (left), Marketing & Innovations Director, Steve O’Kelly (second right) and Head of Innovations Fred Otieno toast to the launch of Captain Morgan Gold.

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) is has made its mark as a world class producer of alcoholic beverages. Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) has been a fundamental part in driving that legacy with locally produced brews such as Tusker and innovations such as Tusker Cider.

The Kenyan brewery has recently taken a new product under its belt, Captain Morgan Gold. The international spirit drink is targeted at young adult consumers and will be produced locally at the Ruaraka based factory under the license of Captain Morgan International.

"Local production means we are recognised and trusted by global brands to produce world class beverages. Our company is leveraging local talent and resources to develop future trends for the global market. This adds to the pride of Kenya," said KBL Head of Innovations Fred Otieno.

Captain Morgan Gold is a delicious, smooth golden spirit with vanilla spice flavor.

 "We are targeting young adults from above the age of 18 to about 34 years. These are consumers with a very different taste profile compared to the traditional market. The way older people perceive their drinks is simply not the same, young adults prefer spirits that are exciting and full of flavor. They also want to consume world class products but at an affordable price," added Fred Otieno.

The drink is available in both 250ml and 750ml packs at a recommended retail price of Sh270 and Sh800 respectively.

"We are excited to introduce Captain Morgan Gold to the Kenyan market. The introduction of this delicious spirit now offers young adult consumers an opportunity to enjoy this international brand of great repute at an affordable price and format," said KBL Managing Director Jane Karuku during the launch in Nairobi on November 30.

Mrs Karuku added that the launch of Captain Morgan Gold is part of KBL's efforts to accelerate the strong growth recorded in the spirits category and to meet the tastes of the dynamic young adult consumers.

The Captain Morgan brand is inspired by a legendary sailor who lived a life full of adventure and fun times with his crew. It is world famous for being fun and enjoyed around the world by young adult consumers.

"We made sure that the Captain (Captain Morgan international brand ambassador David Phillip) was here for the launch to have a direct interface with the customers to help him understand what they want and then introduce the new product to them," said Fred Otieno, KBL's Head of Innovations.

At the moment, KBL boasts a wide portfolio of spirits that include reserve, premium, mainstream and value brands. In the last financial year, the spirits category posted 11 per cent growth, with mainstream liquor delivering the highest growth rate. Captain Morgan Gold is a mainstream spirits brand.

"Innovation is at the vanguard of our business and it has contributed robustly to recent growth across our alcohol beverage categories. EABL spirits category grew by 14 percent in the year ending June 2017, the highest across the company's brand segments. Specifically, our innovation brands contributed 13% to our sales, which means that our efforts to give our consumers a fresh variety in their drink repertoire are bearing fruit. We remain committed to constantly innovate at scale to offer high quality products that meet the palates of our dynamic customers in the Kenyan market," said Stephen O'Kelly, KBL's Marketing and Innovations Director.

Fred Otieno, KBL's Head of Innovations added that a great business has to keep learning, keep to the trends of the future market and adjust its business shape accordingly.

"We want to stay on the front foot of the changes in the environment. KBL is a market leader in the alcoholic beverage industry, we want to make sure that as the consumer habits change, we are the ones driving that change. Our innovation pipeline also needs to respond to the consumer needs.

Apart from this new innovation, KBL has been leading the evolution and growth in the alcohol beverage category with exciting new brands such as Tusker Premium Cider, Pilsner 7 and Black & White Whisky.