Marking SABECO’s (SAB) journey towards global credibility

Jun 20th at 10:03

20-06-2023 10:03:33+07:00

Inheriting values with a history of nearly 150 years while striving to innovate and improve the quality of beer, Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation is steadily moving towards a new chapter in the journey of positioning Vietnam on the global beer map.

By collaborating with and sponsoring the Michelin Guide, Bia Saigon, the leading brand of Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (SABECO), aims to honour, recognise, and promote the unique culinary culture of Vietnam to the domestic and international community

SABECO has brought the best beer products to the Vietnamese market with a commitment to using the best local ingredients, integrating the best production lines, and employing the best artisans. It has also accompanied and enhanced the enjoyment and experiences of Vietnamese consumers through communication campaigns that encourage interaction and practical messages.

For instance, the brand comprises 63 beer cans depicting the distinctive landscape, way of life, and traditions of a province or city that has inspired pride in one’s country in each individual. Additionally, Bia Saigon has worked with the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour to distribute more than 8,000 gifts to struggling workers around the nation for the new year campaign. This action helped SABECO and Bia Saigon win three awards at MMA Smarties Vietnam and also gain recognition at Global Smarties.

General director Bennett Neo said, “We consider ourselves the national pride of Vietnam, and people do feel proud of these brands. People have recently shifted their preference towards our brands, and so rather than cutting back our brand investment during financially tricky times, we decided to increase it and as a result, we continued to gain strong growth momentum.”

To celebrate the reintroduction of Bia Saigon Special, the company also organised a number of Special’s Secret Lounge events where guests could indulge in beer while also experiencing a distinctive music environment and fun activities like beer tasting. The Chill Fest music night series won over the hearts of young people by enlisting numerous talented young musicians and offering upbeat times with music.

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Communist Youth Union and Bia Saigon also collaborated to organise a series of cultural and culinary events called “Saigon Night” that travelled through 34 provinces and cities. These events helped to promote and reproduce the well-known cuisine of Ho Chi Minh City night for people all over the nation.

Revolutionising culture

Over the years, SABECO has rolled out a series of meaningful activities to contribute to the development of culture and tourism in Vietnam through a strong three-year agreement with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism towards 2025.

In early 2023, Bia Saigon set an award record with eight gold and silver medals awarded by the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI), which provides the world’s most complete and reliable information for testing. Experience and evaluation expertise in the production of alcoholic products with a history of operation since 1981 in the United States.

Passing rigorous tests, Bia Saigon’s products all scored 87/100 points or more. Particularly, Saigon Lager Beer has excellently conquered with a score of 93 and is rated as a “lightweight, easy to drink, but stylish” drink that is very suitable when enjoying spicy or flavoursome dishes.

Under the event, SABECO also won an impressive four gold medals for its Bia Lac Viet Lager, Bia Saigon Limited Edition Gold Pilsner, Bia Saigon Lager, and Bia Saigon Export Lager, and a silver medal each for Bia 333 Pale Lager, Bia Saigon Coffee Infused Lager, Bia Saigon Special Lager, and Bia Saigon Chill Lager.

In order to provide a fair and consistent analysis, the BTI team of experts conducted a beer quality assessment in a dedicated laboratory under ideal conditions, through the blind test method with the support of the most modern software.

For the first time this year, the company won more BTI awards than any other brewer, demonstrating the company’s dedication to sustainable development, which includes using the best local ingredients, the best production methods, and the best artisans to produce premium beer products.

In fact, the award-winning products have undergone major improvements in recent years.

Particularly, the product portfolio, which includes Saigon Special Beer, Saigon Export Beer, and Saigon Lager Beer, was re-launched in 2019. This new appearance for the brand not only makes it more eye-catching but also gives each product line a fresh, distinct personality.

Saigon Chill Beer and Lac Viet Beer were also established in 2022. Saigon Chill Beer seeks to capture the taste of young people’s characteristics, whilst Lac Viet Beer symbolises an upbeat spirit tinged with national pride.

Additionally, Bia Saigon Special made a triumphant comeback in 2022 with enhanced flavour and packaging. Each can now boasts a long-lasting, pleasant flavour thanks to the use of carefully chosen Yakima hops.

In addition, Bia Saigon combined two of the most beloved drinks together in one to launch the Bia Saigon Coffee-infused Beer in Vietnam, showing SABECO’s special affection for local raw materials, as well as contributing to support for local coffee producers.

Digitalising the process

After nearly 150 years of bringing pride to the Vietnamese people, SABECO’s dedication to open innovation is now bearing fruit.

This month, SABECO was named among the Top 50 Listed Companies in the country in 2023 by Forbes Vietnam. This is the 11th year it has released this list in the country. The rankings are based on last year’s audited consolidated financial reports of the companies listed on the Vietnam Stock Exchange.

General director Neo, meanwhile, confirmed that the company has modernised significantly. It launched SABECO 4.0 to improve its ways of working, by centralising and digitising processes, starting from the areas of the supply chain, warehousing, sales operation, and business intelligence system. It then improved production efficiencies and at the same time drives sustainability initiatives.

“SABECO will continue to accelerate the transformation process, focusing all its efforts on strengthening its position in the domestic market and reaching out to the international market through sales and business development strategies, business development, and business development,” he said.

“We will also strengthen the product portfolio and market distribution capacity, while continuing to promote the efficiency of supply and production, as well as apply the digitalisation of business processes throughout the system.”

Along with implementing its development goals and action plans, SABECO continues to promote the 4C sustainable development goals of country, culture, consumption, and conservation, which in the line with the nation’s strategic environmental, social, and governance goals.

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