Today, Carling Black Label is the best-selling beer in South Africa, as well as the one with the fullest trophy cabinet. But this wasn’t always the case; in fact, it was at one point threatened with withdrawal from the market for poor sales. A strong product backed up by an evolving brand image and evocative advertising campaigns helped Carling take its place at the helm of South African beer brands.
Carling Black Label first hit our shores in 1966 when Carling USA licensed South African Breweries (SAB) to produce it with the aim of taking on the bigger brands at the time, Lion Lager and Castle Lager. The advertising campaign kicked off with a 'cowboy' theme, which played off American masculinity and values. The cowboy was represented as a lone hero who deserved a cold Carling as a reward for a long day’s work. Westerns were still very popular, with classics like
Stagecoach and
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly being released in 1966. Within a year Carling’s market share was growing steadily.
Unfortunately, its success was short lived. By 1978, the brand went from owning almost 30 percent to losing market share every year. For the next 15 years, the mainstream market was dominated by Castle and Lion. As the success of Carling faded, so did the relevance of the ‘cowboy’ imagery, especially for black beer drinkers.
The 'jazz' advert was launched in 1984 to break with the prevailing cowboy theme. It was the era of 'smooth jazz', with giants like Al Jarreau; Chaka Khan; and Sade getting significant airtime. Yet the new campaign failed to have an impact on sales: from over 10 percent market share in mid-1984, Carling lost 80 percent to hit an all-time low of 2.1 percent by the end of the eighties. Research in 1989 had shown how confused Carling’s identity was: black consumers saw it as 'a beer for low-down whites', while their white counterparts’ consensus was that it was 'a beer black people drank when they caused trouble'. The situation had deteriorated so much that distribution of the 750ml pack – the famous 'quart' – was at its lowest ever in the SAB stable.
The combination of low sales; muddled brand identity; and a consumer shift to milder beers offered a serious challenge for the SAB brand team and its advertising agency, Ogilvy Cape Town. “They were issued with a tough ultimatum: Achieve sales of 50 million litres and boost market share to at least 2.5 percent or Carling will be withdrawn completely,” says Shawn Katz, current Marketing Manager for Carling Black Label.
With this goal in mind, the first step was to realistically define the target market, taking into account the need for 'unexplored territory' and a consumer base that would respond to a stronger beer (the ABV was actually lowered from six to 5.5 percent but the perception of strength was retained through the red, black and gold packaging and the advertising campaign).
“We wanted to keep the notion that Carling satisfied thirst at the end of a hard day’s work, but we also knew we had to move with the times. The early nineties were a time when South African workers were beginning to feel proud of their role in society, thanks to the rise of trade unions within the burgeoning liberation movement. A working class group identity was emerging where workers were ‘heroes’ who were strong; honest; and hardworking,” explains Katz. “We retained the idea that they deserved a Carling at the end of their day.”
Within two years the 'worker' repositioning had paid off: in 1992 Black Label had achieved double its target to reach 5.1 percent, phenomenal growth. Lessons had been learnt, however, about not allowing public sentiment about the brand to stagnate, as well as about keeping the brand positioning fresh. 1994 heralded momentous changes in the country, which were reflected in the advertising. The target market had to feel that they were contributing to the building of a democratic society so the campaign showed teams of men working together – classic images still strongly associated with Carling.
To shore up consumers’ concerns about the beer’s quality, SAB began entering it in tasting competitions. By 1996 it had been honoured twice at the
World’s Best Bottled Lager competition. Since then Carling has won 19 more awards, the latest being a gold medal 2010
Australian International Beer Awards.
To maintain relevance and resonance with the target audience, Carling has been undergoing a subtle revolution to make the brand more individual; contemporary; sophisticated; urban; and cosmopolitan. As working class aspirations changed, so workers gave way to entrepreneurs. While trade union leaders had been heroes of the political struggle, a new generation of self-made men were becoming the heroes of the economic struggle. Keeping Carling up to date with societal shifts paid excellent dividends: by 2002, it equalled Castle Lager in sales, each owning about 35 percent of the market.
Now, in 2010, Carling is changing again. A recent study commissioned by SAB shows that masculinity increasingly means different things to different people, and that the notion of what is means to be 'a South African man' is changing, thanks to wider social and economic forces within the country.
“Men’s responses to these forces are reflected by taking on a greater variety of roles; tasks; and identities. Physical labour or traditional ‘men’s work’ – the basis of our successful resurgence since the nineties – no longer holds the same status: men are seeking work that affords them self-expression,” says Katz.
“Today, we admire men who take on life and win. We respect men with values and ambition. Winners who are brave; strong; and true have replaced workers. This is captured in the new TV campaign that shows men using their hands to show their skill when rearing a young stallion; bravery when saving a person’s life in a deep-sea rescue operation; passion when playing music; and pride when playing sport.
“We want to appeal to suburban men who have made their way up the social ladder; are proud to care for their families; and act as role models for others. The new true man is an urban knight who is part of the brotherhood, but his individual identity and self-respect is of equal priority. He acts in the interests of the greater good and combines both entrepreneurial and individualistic values.
“Masculinity is more nuanced and Carling is projecting this through recognising the winners and champions. They are entrepreneurs; fathers; community builders; sportsmen; and leaders. These are men of character who deserve the reward of champion beer,” concludes Katz.