Coopers is the new official beer of Australian Open
AUSTRALIAN Open spectators will be encouraged to “Open Australian” next week when Coopers Brewery takes over as official beer of the flagship tennis event..
AUSTRALIAN Open spectators will be encouraged to “Open Australian” next week when Coopers Brewery takes over as official beer of the flagship tennis event.
Coopers, Australia’s biggest independent brewer, is spreading its wings by becoming the official beer of Australian tennis more broadly also.
Every ale or lager sunk at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, will be a Coopers — after it snatched the crown from Dutch titan Heineken, which has served customers at Australia’s best-attended event for more than two decades.
The five-year deal will extend beyond Melbourne and cover all tournaments during Australia’s summer of tennis.
It marks a major attempt by Coopers to become a far bigger player in a congested and competitive market.
The Adelaide brewer accounts for 5 per cent of all beer sales in Australia.
NSW has just become its top state for turnover, accounting for 25.9 per cent of all sales last financial year.
The new deal is not just about sport. All events at Melbourne Park — such as the Santana and the Cyndi Lauper and Blondie concerts scheduled for April — will be covered.
And, in the best beery traditions, the Coopers coup came about in a blur.
After hearing in 2015 that Tennis Australia was interested in a new beer sponsor, Coopers delivered a pitch and soon received the OK.
“Our pitch was very much based on Coopers as an Australian-owned and Australian run family company,” said Coopers sales and marketing director Cam Pearce.
“Tennis is a family too and it was a good fit for the brand — the demographics were right.”
The much-drunk Coopers Pale Ale will be on offer at Melbourne Park, as will a light beer and a new “legends summer lager”, featuring cans adorned with tennis facts for true fans.
“We brought a lot of innovative ideas to the table, it’s about adding value for (Tennis Australia), about bringing in hospitality, entertainment and experience.”
Melbourne Park sales will be important over the next two weeks, but growing brand awareness is the standout priority for Coopers at a time when beer sales across all brands have fallen nationally.
Over the past five years, Coopers sales have climbed about 22 per cent but it is the next five years in a new spotlight that could come to define the company.
Exports account for 2.1 per cent of the brewer’s sales — a figure that should improve with the new sponsorship deal, given the large global audience for the Australian Open.