| Case Title |
Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd. (A) |
| Case Author(s) |
Turpin, D
|
| University |
International Institute of Management Development |
| Abstract |
Kirin Brewery was the top brewer in Japan and the fourth largest in the world. In 1987, 93% of the companys revenue came from beer. Beer was a popular and widely preferred beverage, representing 67% of all alcoholic beverages consumed in Japan. The production of beer in Japan was strictly controlled by the state through a license system. The Japanese beer market could be divided into two major segments: lager and draft. Business was equally divided between these segments. Kirin held 90% of the lager segment. The four major brewers shared the draft segment. Asahi Breweries was the third largest brewer in Japan. Over the years, Asahi had lost ground to its competitors. Employee morale in the company had suffered as a result of the poor performance. Mr. Murai was appointed as the new president of Asahi. He directed and launched a Super Dry beer, which became an instant hit and created a new segment in the Japanese beer market. Asahi soon gained market share at the cost of Kirin. Now, Kirin had to fight back and it began looking into the alternatives of price-cutting, launching Kirin Dry beer, reinforcing Kirin lager, and launching other new products. |
| Available In |
The IMD case collection at the European Case Clearing House |
| Publisher |
International Institute of Management Development |
| Publisher Case No. |
591-013-1 |
| Distributor(s) |
European Case Clearing House
|
| Pub/Rev Date |
8/10/1992 |
| ISBN |
|
| Case Length |
27 |
| Teaching Note |
Yes |
| Pub TN Ref No. |
591-013-8 |
| Pages (TN) |
9 |
| Issues |
Marketing; Industry Analysis |
| Organisation(s) |
Kirin Brewery
|
| Countries |
Japan |
| Industry |
Food, Beverages & Tobacco |
| Period Covered |
1987-1989 |
| Level |
Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Links of Interest |
Homepage of Kirin Brewery
|
| Back |