Burnett takes Anchor off Batey and Bates

<p>SINGAPORE: Faced with declining sales of local beers, Asia Pacific </p><p>Breweries (APB) has aligned its Anchor Beer business for Singapore and </p><p>Malaysia with Leo Burnett. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency took the account off Batey Ads in Singapore and Bates in </p><p>Malaysia without a formal pitch. No decision has been made on the media </p><p>agency. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The brewer is looking to reposition the brand in the face of heightened </p><p>competition from overseas brews. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>John Borzi, Leo Burnett managing director in Singapore, said: "In </p><p>Singapore, the brand has been on the decline in terms of brand share, so </p><p>we'll be making Anchor relevant to younger drinkers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Anchor needs to achieve three things with its marketing - win over </p><p>younger Singaporeans who are drinking spirits, get them into the habit </p><p>of drinking beer regularly and ensure that Anchor increases its market </p><p>share without cannibalising sales from APB's Tiger Beer." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Imported beer volume to Singapore rose 5.2 per cent last year, while </p><p>consumption of local beer was down 8.5 per cent, according to government </p><p>statistics. The win gives Burnett three APB brands in the region, </p><p>including Tiger in Vietnam and Indonesia and Heineken in Japan, Taiwan, </p><p>Thailand and Australia. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>