Consumer-led innovation secures Brutal Fruit a place among SA's top brands

In its mission to push the boundaries of innovation beyond beer, the South African Breweries (SAB) has always been driven to push its portfolio in a way that meets the ever-evolving needs of its consumers.

In 2002, SAB drove this strategy by taking a leap of flavoursome faith with the launch of a fresh and innovative new brand of alcoholic beverages called Brutal Fruit. In 2018, the brand evolved to offer South African women access to a beautiful lifestyle, with an easy drinking spritzer and even a brand-inspired perfume.

Over the last four years, this brand innovation has attracted the love of South African consumers to such a degree that Brutal Fruit has just been acknowledged as one of South Africa’s top 30 most valued brands in the latest Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable South African Brands report.

This is the second brand in SAB’s Beyond Beer portfolio to be recognised on this list, with the first being the Flying Fish range of flavoured beers. Ever since its launch in 2018, Brutal Fruit’s Spritzer innovation has continued to push boundaries and make waves.

Leanne Owens, VP of Insights & Innovation at SAB’s Beyond Beer division

As the innovative mind who has championed this brand since it launched into the market, VP of Insights & Innovation at SAB’s Beyond Beer division, Leanne Owens, believes a new future is brewing for this portfolio and Brutal Fruit Spritzer is at the helm.

“It’s exciting to see another one of our brands succeed, especially Brutal Fruit Spritzer which has been my baby since day one. It should be no surprise that these new innovative brands are a big deal and should be supported,” says Owens.

Under her leadership, SAB’s Beyond Beer category already accounts for around 20% of the brewer’s revenue, making this category an economic success. So much so, Owens was invited to present the Brutal Fruit Spritzer success story to 400 global investors linked to SAB’s parent company and world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The success of Brutal Fruit Spritzer has led the Beyond Beer team to expand the brand into a lifestyle space with the introduction of a new line of Brutal Fruit fragrances. You Belong by Brutal Fruit was an ambitious move, but Owens believes that the expansion into the cosmetics industry will resonate with the consumers of its drink, who are mostly women.

Led by women, as a product for women, Owens believes Brutal Fruit Spritzer can rightfully take its place among the best brands in the country. “When we go beyond beer, we also transcend the stereotypes that come with the product. Designed to meet the needs of women, Brutal Fruit Spritzer has the potential to soar well beyond our own borders and dominate the category in markets across the world. Watch this space!”