Tiger Beer is a beer brand that originated in Singapore in 1932. It is now owned by Heineken Asia Pacific and is one of the leading brands of beer in Southeast Asia. Tiger Beer is known for its distinctive logo, which features a roaring tiger. The Tiger symbolizes strength, courage, and optimism, and is a popular symbol in many Asian cultures. In addition to its original pale lager, Tiger Beer also produces a range of other beers, including a dark lager, a wheat beer, and a low-alcohol beer. The brand has won numerous awards for its beer, including several medals at the World Beer Cup and the International Beer Challenge.
Idea Behind “Brewing Against The Odds”
With its origins dating back to 1932, Tiger beer has a rich history and is deeply ingrained in the cultural heritage of Singapore and Malaysia. At the time of its inception, the leading brewers of the world were situated in Europe and North America, and they deemed it impossible to create an exceptional beer in equatorial regions due to the scarcity of ingredients and unsuitable temperature. However, the Tiger Brewers challenged these notions, and have since gained worldwide recognition for their production of top-quality tropical lagers. Whether one is enjoying an ice-cold Tiger Beer at a local hawker center in Singapore or sipping on one while flying business class on Singapore Airlines, the brand continually challenges traditional norms. This approach led to the launch of its global campaign, “Brewed Against The Odds”.
Effective Public Relations Strategy
Tiger Beer places a significant emphasis on utilizing the awards and recognition it has received since its inception as a key aspect of its marketing strategy. The brand leverages accolades such as Gold and Grand Gold awards won at the Institut Pour Les Sélection De La Qualite to position itself as a globally recognized and high-quality product. Having maintained its quality for nearly a century, the brand uses these awards to showcase its superiority over its competitors.
Rebranding With #Uncaged Campaign
After being marketed as a premium Asian beer in lucrative overseas markets for a decade, Tiger Beer faced criticism in Singapore for losing touch with its local heritage following the brewery’s acquisition by Heineken International in 2012. To reaffirm its local identity, Tiger Beer launched the “Uncaged” campaign, targeting a younger generation of Singaporean and regional males and reintroducing them to the reinvigorated brand, which they were familiar with through their fathers and grandfathers.
Tiger Beer updated its brand and logo to reinforce its local heritage and appeal to the younger generation. The new logo features a more dynamic tiger in a dominant posture with a haloed sun behind it. The brand name lettering was also subtly amended to resemble the number “8”, associated with prosperity in Chinese and regional cultures. This repositioning as a more premium and modern brand has kept Tiger Beer competitive in the market alongside imported and specialty beers.
Celebrating Singapore With District Bottles
Tiger Beer launched limited edition district bottles in 2019, featuring unique designs for each of the 20 main districts in Singapore. This reinforced Tiger’s position as a brand Singaporeans relate to and are proud of, and its heritage as a national icon. The campaign was part of Tiger’s strategy to maintain its position as Singapore’s most consumed beer and played into its focus on the local market. The district bottle promotion is an example of Tiger’s engaging and creative marketing activities, which often feature Singapore as a central theme.
As Heineken’s growth engine in APAC, Tiger’s three largest markets are currently Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The brand’s expansion in Vietnam over the last decade has been remarkable and has significantly impacted the brand’s growth. Outside of APAC, Nigeria represents its largest market, where Tiger is currently the fastest-growing beer brand. In 2021, the brand entered America, starting with Brazil and Peru.
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