Chang Classic beer now in a new bottle
Chang Classic now comes in a newly designed bottle, elegant and beautiful in shape and comfortable to hold. The color has also changed from brown/orange to green.
That's not the only Chang beer change that Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) has announced. The company has developed a “Vision 2020” plan that was presented to more than 2.000 Chang dealers this week by Thapana Sirivadhan-abhakdi, president and CEO of ThaiBev. This on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Chang beer in Thailand. The goal of Vision 2020 is to become a “sustainable market leader” in the Asean market.
Marketing
The marketing strategy will focus on the Chang Classic brand, which means that the brands Chang Light, Chang Export and Chang Draft will disappear from the market. Only the Chang Classic brand will be used for both domestic and export markets around the world. According to that plan, the market share of Chang beer in Thailand should increase from 30% to 45-50%, making it the absolute market leader.
The alcohol percentage of the new Chang Classic is going down from about 6% to 5,5%, which, according to Khun Thapana, corresponds to the consumer's wishes. The color of the bottle has been changed to green for a better image among younger beer drinkers in the 20-35 age group.
Production
The new Chang Classic bottles come in two sizes – 320cc and 620cc – and will retail for around 34-37 Baht, respectively. 53-55 Baht, depending on the point of sale.
With an increase of 3 to 4%, ThaiBev aims to produce around 18 million hectoliters this year after a sharp drop of around 5 percent last year. The largest Chang beer brewery in Kamphaeng Phet province is now operating at just 50 percent capacity
“We want to grow faster than the overall beer market in Thailand,” said Khun Thapana, adding that the company has already launched new marketing activities that have succeeded in significantly increasing its market share in Thailand over the past six months. That market share is now said to be 30%.
Export
Thailand remains the most important market, but the brand also has a significant presence in Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia. It will also be launched in Cambodia and other countries within Asean are being looked at.
Comments
The changes in Chang beer are not well received by all Chang aficionados. I plucked some responses from Thaivisa:
- "It's a sad day for the real Chang lovers, the new Chang Classic has no taste at all!"
- “Chang Classic tastes like bat piss”
- “Business is booming, but the largest brewery is running at 50% capacity?”
- “I don't drink Chang beer anymore, it went from 6,4 to 6,0, then 5,8 and now 5,5% alcohol. From now on I drink Red Horse, Archa and Tiger”
- “They throw the baby out with the Chang water. The original Chang beer was fine, enough character to temper those devilishly sharp Isaan dishes.”
Source: The Nation/Thaivisa
About this blogger
-
Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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Funny that someone says "Chang Classic tastes like bat piss" implying that he knows the taste of bat piss. He rather than me 😉
Khan Peter,
Perhaps he means Heineken. The color of the new bottle probably brings back memories. 😉
Oh, there's more than just Hinikken. Did you know that there are now more Dutch than Belgian beer brewers? See here: http://goo.gl/jp4tmi
Just a quote to tease: 'The Netherlands has now surpassed Belgium as a beer country'
Quantity is not the problem at all. 😉
Heineken, you probably hit the nail on the head with that. As far as I know, Heineken has acquired ThaiBev in which Chang and I thought Seng Som and some other drinks. Forgive me if I can't remember all the details, but it has been a long takeover battle with Thailand's third richest man. And we all know, if Heineken gets involved, you better switch to another beer. As I read in the message now, because the customer asks for it.
I would like to hear feedback from customers who have asked for it.
I thought Heineken took over Asia Pacific Breweries, partly because Thai Bev had shown an interest in it.
'… enough character to temper those devilishly sharp Isaan dishes.'
Personally, I can eat spicy food better with bland water than with any beer whatsoever.
As a real Chang Beer drinker I unfortunately have to switch to a different kind of beer, because Chang Classic is really undrinkable. but there are many types of Beer in Thailand that I like!!!!!
Chang Export was the only good beer she made. Properly promoted and fairly popular certainly on tap. Draft in a bottle I never understood and Light ……
Classic again deteriorated in taste (I don't mind less alcohol) and now also in smaller bottles. Don't know anyone in my area who is positive about it.
Success with the goal but whether it will be achieved?
As a chang gold drinker, classic is not tasty.
Chang export is delicious beer, a few bottles every day. Often difficult to get.
Classic is fine and, like Leo, it is not a drinkable beer and Singha is too sweet. Let's wait and see how it turns out and then we'll see.
Cheers and greetings from Joy.
The alcohol percentage of the 'old' Chang Classic, which is still available in the brown bottles, is already 5.5%, so nothing will change.
http://fransamsterdam.com/2015/08/23/chang-classic/
Anyone can comment on Thai beer from me.
Chang gave me a headache anyway. Whatever they change about it is not important.
Heiniken was already not my beer in the Netherlands. I always drank Amstel.
Amstel was also served in the best bars in Amsterdam.
I guess that's why I like to drink Leo beer.
Cor van Kampen.
in the grocery store on the corner, Leo is simply the cheapest.
Tastes differ, but I don't like Chang beer, rather a beer to get a headache from.
The tastiest beer is still beer on tap than from a bottle.
Brown bottles are better suited for beer because brown glass filters sunlight better than green glass (which is cheaper than brown glass), and it is under the influence of light that beer starts to taste like piss.
So to all heineken drinkers plaice 😉
Deadly sin. Beer belongs in a brown, dark bottle. In Belgium they totally understand that. There is also the only beer university in the world. Chang beer was absolutely top notch. However, I will not drink it now because it is unbreakable. How bad. What have we beer drinkers done wrong that they spoil good beer.
So far I have only seen Chang Classic in the brown bottles, as soon as I run into a green bottle I can taste the new one. Rather, I don't think it makes much sense to draw conclusions.