Asahi Beer Enters the Russian Market

Abstract

On 13 March 2008, Baltika Breweries, the leader in the Russian beer market, and Asahi Breweries, Ltd (Japan) signed a licensing agreement on production and sales of Asahi Super Dry. The case provides the background of Russian beer market, the Asahi Super Dry, and the two partners, Baltika and Asahi, that attempt to penetrate into the growing import beer market. What would be the opportunities and challenges for Baltika with the Asahi Super Dry in Russia? How should the brand be positioned in the Russian market and what should the brand identity be based on? What would be the effect of the country of origin factor in promoting the brand? This case was jointly developed by the Graduate School of Management (GSOM), St. Petersburg University and Babson College. This case has been featured on the ecch website, click to view the article.