No.8968   2004. 12. 1

All Suntory's domestic beers / low-malt beers are to be produced with 100% natural water.
- First trial in beer industry to expect dynamic leap in beer business -

SUNTORY LIMITED (Head Office: Osaka City, Japan / President: Nobutada Saji), is to announce to produce all domestic beers and low-malt beers using 100% natural water starting from the year of 2005.

During the year of 2004, Suntorys total sales of beer-taste products grew dramatically, and instead, low-malt beer made a big fall. This showed the tendency on growing demand for low-priced beers. On the other hand, the decline in beer market as a whole stopped. Total sales of renewal version “Malts” for home use (canned) grew for 20% compared to previous year. This is considered as a result of high evaluation from customers in producing beers with “4 types of high quality natural water” at selected beer factories, and gained highly appreciated opinions such as “Malts, the beer produced by selected water tastes good and also provides assurance”, and “Using natural water in beers seems to be a great concept to fit the times. ”

To respond to these market expectations and to expand the market, Suntory's beer business department decided to produce all domestic beers and low-malt beers using natural water 100% from the year of 2005, which is the first trial amongst beer industry.

• Building the brand as “100% natural water used”

Suntory expects to upgrade branding power and to acquire consumer's confidence in Suntory's brewery for all brands, by giving the priority on the marketing concept of “100% natural water used” for all domestic beers and low-malt beers. In addition, Suntory is to uphold its corporate message “Living with Water. SUNTORY “, to deliver the value of the message, and to differentiate clearly with other competitors and pursue total brand building for Suntory's beer business.

• Brand building by standardizing “Design Pattern”

Suntory's beer business is to adopt packaging designs that fits with each product's brand features to all unique products line ups produced today. Starting from the year of 2005, Suntory is also to adopt “Tambler type” design pattern to express the fabulous taste of beers and low-malt beers, especially focusing on the main brands such as, “Malts”, “Magnum Dry”, and “Diet”, with the implementation of new Suntory's logo marks. Adding to this, all of each brand will have medal-type marks printed on each product, which is to appeal strongly on “Natural water used”. The integrated package design is expected to establish stronger and higher presence in the market as Suntory brand.

▽ For enquiries, please contact:
　 Suntory Customer Center Toll free number: 0120-139-310
　 (Osaka) Dojimahama 2-1-40, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-8203, Japan
　 (Tokyo) Moto-Akasaka 1-2-3, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8430, Japan
　 Suntory HP: http://www.suntory.co.jp/