Budweiser taking on Dutch market

The originally American beer brand Budweiser is taking on the Netherlands. Starting Monday, the beer will be available in Dutch pubs and restaurants - mainly in the Randstad region, but also elsewhere in the country. From September, Dutch will also be able to buy Budweiser in supermarkets, RTL Nieuws reports.

"We think that the lager market in the Netherlands is pretty stuck", Nicolas Bartholomeeusen, director of AB InBev Nederland which owns Budweiser, said to the broadcaster. "We see an opportunity to freshen this up." He expects that Budweiser will get a "few percent market share" in the Netherlands.

Budweiser is aimed at people between the ages of 18 and 35 years. It is described as having a "unique taste", being "less bitter than most lagers", being "accessible", and being "inclusive" - both men and women like it.

The American lager will be introduced to the Dutch market with a major launch, though Bartholomeeusen would not tell RTL how much advertising budget there is. The company is also working on various collaborations with music- and other events.

While Budweiser has grand ambitions, entering the Dutch market will be a challenge, ABN Amro sector economist Stef Driessen said to RTL Nieuws. According to him, Budweiser has "limited" brand awareness among Dutch. And it is mainly low alcoholic beers, specialty beers, artisanal bees, and local beers that are currently gaining ground on the Dutch beer market.