Monteith's 

The Monteith's Brewing Company was founded on the West Coast of New Zealand in 1868, amidst an influx of 30,000 hopeful (and thirsty) gold rush adventurers.

Initially known as the modest, family-owned Phoenix Brewery, it gradually became the Coast's most popular brewery for its strong, full flavoured ale.

Later, the Phoenix Brewery merged with a group of small breweries - they became the Westland Brewing Company, predecessor to Monteith's as we know it today.

Pre 1995, Monteith's was largely underdone as a brand. From its foundation as a West Coast working man's beer, it struggled to appreciate that it needed to grow in volume and add quality cues.

Indeed, how could a beer from a mining town, in an old brown bottle, ever secure premium status?

With the help of DesignWorks Enterprise IG, Monteith's was to prove that it could and, at the same time, drive an entirely new craft category for beer.

DesignWorks Enterprise IG developed a programme based on the value proposition of 'Pioneering Beer Experiences', which would gradually evolve the brand's character and positioning in the marketplace.

As a brand driver, Pioneering Beer Experiences is a cue to the roots and origins of a traditional West Coast brewery. It challenges brand owners to constantly seek the new, as well as encouraging beer drinkers to continually search for new ways to enjoy, learn and discover more about beer.

This core idea for the Monteith's brand has been incorporated into a visual signature that tells the story of a 'real taste' of West Coast New Zealand.

As an extension to the idea of pioneering beer experiences, Monteith's have - with the help of DesignWorks Enterprise IG - developed and branded a cluster of 'Craft Beer Bars' to showcase their beer, match it with outstanding cuisine and evoke the warmth and richness of the brand's roots... albeit in a 21st century way.

Monteith's Brewing Company has, since its relaunch as a craft brewery in 1995, witnessed outstanding growth.

An increase in volume of 400 percent can be attributed to excellent product development and quality standards, wider distribution and most notably a powerful brand story, fundamentally about the celebration of beer and beer styles that, with the aid of DesignWorks Enterprise IG, has been consistently told.

In 1999, Monteith's enjoyed its greatest success: they received Grande Gold at the prestigious Monde Brewing Awards in Brussels and were voted Best Brewery in Australasia at the Australian International Brewing Awards.

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