Carling Black Label is South Africa’s favourite beer brand

Carling Black Label, one of the South African Breweries Limited’s (SAB) most popular brands, proved once again that it is South Africa’s favourite beer after claiming a first place in the coveted Sunday Times Top Brands Award Business to Consumer Category.

Castle Lager, SAB’s flagship brand, took third place in the same category.

This is the fifth consecutive time that Carling Black Label has taken a first place in the sub-category, Beers.

“It is incredibly humbling that year after year South Africans choose Carling Black Label as their preferred beer brand. We believe that this is a huge responsibility and one which we are honoured to have.

“It is further motivation for us to ensure that we continue surprising and delighting consumers so that they keep coming back for more,” says Andrea Quaye, General Manager Carling Black Label.

The Top Brands Awards research survey to select the best brands was conducted by TNS Research Surveys. At least 3 900 individuals including business people were interviewed and each questioned on how regularly they used the brand. How much better than average the brand was amongst users and non-users was also calculated.

This year’s research findings indicated that consumers chose more iconic brands with a long history in South Africa. Brands that shone through in 2010 were felt to be proudly South African and trusted amongst consumers.

“The Carling Black Label brand has been part of South Africans’ lives since the 1960s and has since firmly entrenched itself as a beer catering to consumers from all walks of life,” says Quaye.

“So well loved is the brand amongst ordinary South Africans, that it is one of the few which, over the years, has adopted a nickname, ‘Zamalek’, that has embedded itself into the country’s spirited vocabulary.” says Quaye.

Carling Black Label, which has always been a beer for real men, has recently refreshed its positioning to reflect a more multi-faceted expression of masculinity which is more relevant to the 21st century South African man.

Carling Black Label continues to increase its stature as a champion beer having won 19 international awards for taste, making it the most awarded beer brand in South Africa, ahead of its competitors by a wide margin.

On being recognised as one of the country’s most prominent beer brands, SAB General Manager Castle Lager, Alastair Hewitt says, “It is fitting and an honour that South Africans feel passionate about Castle Lager. The brand has always been part of the nation’s fabric and is synonymous with South Africa the world over.”