GUINNESS is to dramatically expand distribution of its creamy ale Kilkenny over the next two months.
Kilkenny was launched on a limited basis last July, and is currently available in about 350 pubs North and South. But by the end of May pub distribution will have more than doubled to 1,000 pubs.
Kilkenny brand manager Ms Anne Faulkner would not reveal bow much Guinness is investing in the expanded roll out but said it was in millions rather than thousands". According to Ms Faulkner, Kilkenny's combined domestic and export turnover will increase by 75 per cent this year.
Guinness Ireland last week announced a 5 per cent increase in pre tax profits for 1995 and according to managing director, Mr Colin Storm, Kilkenny has surpassed all its domestic targets. Mr Storm said Kilkenny exports increased by 16 per cent during the year, while draught sales to Germany, France and Italy were up by 24 per cent.
Kilkenny, which competes in Ireland and Britain with the Bass product Caffrey's, was initially introduced to 150 pubs in Dublin, Galway and its native Marble City. It received a limited launch in the North last October, and will now move into other main population centres throughout Ireland such as Derry, Cork, Wexford, and Dundalk.
Popular destinations for foreign tourists will also be targeted to capitalise on the beer's success in continental Europe.
A new series of Kilkenny poster advertisements using the Iced Cream slogan were unveiled two weeks ago, while Guinness is due to begin its first television and cinema advertising campaign for the beer in the summer. "We'll wait until we're in the thousand pubs before we go for TV," Ms Faulkner said.
The company is currently discussing story lines and concepts for the advertisement with the Irish International agency.
Domestic sales of Kilkenny, which is brewed at the Smithwicks brewery in Kilkenny, are still relatively modest as Europe is its major market. It is currently exported to 35 countries, and there are plans to enter new markets later this year.
Guinness has never revealed turnover figures for Kilkenny since it was launched in Germany in 1987, however the company claims that sales have increased by at least 30 per cent annually during the past seven years.
