BOTTLED FOR BUSINESS • KARAN BILIMORIA
After some brainstorming, and with the help of KARAN’S BUSINESS TIPS:
Team Saatchi, Cobra came up with an alternative
MANAGEMENT AND
name: Mogul. After establishing that the name had
LEADERSHIP
not been trademarked in the US, and conducting
Is there a distinction? The simple distinction is that the management part is the execution part, the delivery part and the leadership part is inspirational, motivational and about taking things forward, Bilimoria says. ‘Actually you have got to do both. I think as a chief executive – as an entrepreneur and founder – the visionary strategic element … that has got to be the most important part.’
some market research which produced a positive response to the new name, Bilimoria prepared for a launch. Only for disaster to strike again. A belated Google search revealed that a small brewer based in Oregon had been selling a beer called Mogul Madness since 1991 and thus had the rights to the name. Following wing the snake theme, Cobra was finally launched early ear in 2004 in New York, New Jersey and California, this time tim as Krait – another snake Krait took a different route to common to India. Kra the US consumer on than Cobra beer did in the UK. Instead out in Indian restaurants, Krait nstead off starting s went mainstream of pubs, clubs ent straight aigh into the m and nationality, where it comd restaurants ura of every very na Corona, Heineken and Bass. petes with h th the likes es of Coron Cor
‘We are extremely excited about ut Krait’s ait’s entry into the US beer market,’ said Bilimoria at the launch. ‘This is is a significant step in growing worldwide operations and establishing brand as a competitive, global beer ng the Cobra bran brand.’ Today, the US operation is run by a team of four under the regional director Hoshang Chenoy. Although the branding issue in the USA makes it the most challenging of Cobra’s global operations, Bilimoria remains optimistic. Progress is also being made in South Africa, where Cobra started its subsidiary in Cape Town, headed by Bruce Walker, in June 2003. Like the US, South Africa has a large beer market, and while South African Breweries had a market share of around 98 per cent it was felt that the consumers were crying out for more choice. SAB’s brand Castle currently dominates the market and only a handful of international brands have moved in. Cobra’s sales in South Africa have been building extremely well, and the brand has excellent expo-
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TEAM LinG
22/12/2006 16:02:44