KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFX) - The Red Stripe brewing company will launch a new advertising campaign next week to tap into the profitable U.S. market, an official said.
Red Stripe, which produces a lager beer sold in short bottles, will begin its 'Hooray Beer' campaign with television ads and billboards across the U.S., Grace Silvera, Red Stripe's global marketing manager, said Monday.
The U.S. market -- particularly the northeast and southern regions -- is the company's most profitable, accounting for roughly 34 percent of total exports, Silvera said.
'We don't have the deep pockets of some of our competitors, but the product sells itself because of its strong Jamaican heritage,' she said.
Two years ago, Red Stripe expanded its export business by shipping to Australia. In 2005, it entered markets in Switzerland and Sweden, and last year began exporting to Ireland and the U.S. Caribbean territory of Puerto Rico.
Red Stripe also plans to increase its presence in Europe by exporting to Italy and Spain.
The push to boost exports comes as Red Stripe's sales in Jamaica have decreased by 5 percent over the past three years, Silvera said.
Originally owned by Jamaica's Desnoes and Geddes, Red Stripe was purchased by British food and drink company Diageo about a decade ago.
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