Coca-Cola backs Fiji craft beer
Created by two local entrepreneurs in Fiji, Vonu Pure Lager has been distributed across the island for a few years and is marketed as a premium hand-crafted beer sold under the slogan "Pure Fiji rainwater turned into beer".
CC Amatil has paid $NZ5 million for the intellectual property assets of Vonu Beer as well as all its trademarks and brands throughout the world, including Fiji.
CC Amatil will bring Vonu Lager to Australia and New Zealand early next year, imported in packaged form, and is expected to play up the beverage's use of ingredients such as pure rainwater and no use of preservatives.
The company hopes Vonu Lager will strike a chord with Australian drinkers, who make up 50 per cent of the annual visitors to Fiji, and New Zealanders, who are Fiji's second largest group of tourists.
The deal, inked late last month by CC Amatil's majority-controlled Paradise Beverages business, will also deliver the beverage company an extra brand for its burgeoning beer portfolio as it prepares to re-enter the $11 billion Australian beer market in December after a two-year absence.
CC Amatil was forced out of the local beer sector in 2011 after the Coca-Cola bottler sold its half-stake in the Pacific Beverages brewing joint venture to SABMiller when the world's second largest brewer bought Foster's Group.
At the company's half-year results last month, CC Amatil chief executive Terry Davis unveiled that CC Amatil had secured an exclusive agreement with the world's seventh largest brewer, Molson Coors, to distribute several of its beer brands in Australia.
Mr Davis is eyeing the region's regional beer and cider market for its $1.4 billion profit pool and which generates some of the highest margins in brewing in the world.
CC Amatil is continuing to scour the globe for more deals to give it a running start for its Australian brewing arm when it re-enters the market on December 16, and is expected to use its Fiji brewing arm to broaden its depth of labels.
In 2012, CC Amatil won agreements to distribute Corona Extra, Carlsberg, Molson Coors' Coors Light, Carling and Cobra brands in Fiji and the south Pacific. It also sells Fiji Bitter.
CC Amatil invested $F3.7 million in the Fiji brewer's plant and equipment last year and plans to spend up to $F25 million more to redress years of underinvestment.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Coca‑Cola Amatil (through its Paradise Beverages business) bought the intellectual property assets, trademarks and brands of Vonu Beer worldwide, including rights in Fiji, as part of the deal reported in the article.
CC Amatil paid NZ$5 million for Vonu Beer’s intellectual property and global trademarks and brands, securing the name, branding and related assets needed to expand the product beyond Fiji.
CC Amatil aims to turn Vonu Pure Lager — a premium, hand‑crafted Fijian lager — into a regional export winner, add depth to its growing beer portfolio and leverage tourist ties between Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.
CC Amatil plans to bring Vonu Lager to Australia and New Zealand early next year, importing it in packaged form for retail and on‑trade distribution.
The marketing is expected to emphasise Vonu’s premium, hand‑crafted positioning — notably its use of ‘Pure Fiji rainwater’ and no use of preservatives — to appeal to Australians (who make up about 50% of Fiji’s annual visitors) and New Zealand tourists.
The Vonu deal gives CC Amatil an extra brand as it prepares to re‑enter the A$11 billion Australian beer market on December 16 after a two‑year absence, complements its exclusive distribution agreement with Molson Coors in Australia, and supports its focus on the region’s profitable beer and cider market.
The deal was inked by Paradise Beverages, a majority‑controlled CC Amatil business. CC Amatil also holds distribution agreements in Fiji and the south Pacific for brands such as Corona Extra, Carlsberg, Coors Light, Carling and Cobra, and it sells Fiji Bitter.
Yes. CC Amatil invested $F3.7 million last year in the Fiji brewer’s plant and equipment and plans to spend up to $F25 million more to address years of underinvestment, according to the article.
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