Cobra marketing director Will Ghali to depart ahead of lager brand's sale to Molson Coors

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 06-May-09, 09:15

LONDON - Cobra Beer marketing director Will Ghali is to leave the business, as it gears up for its planned sale to the Molson Coors Brewing Company.

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Ghali and his 12-strong marketing team are said to be resigned to the winding down of their operation in Fulham, West London, and have already started to look for new jobs.

Last week chief executive Adrian McKeon, a former E & J Gallo marketer, also left the Indian-themed beer brand ahead of the expected acquisition by Molson Coors. The latter already owns the Carling and Grolsch brands.

Ghali joined Cobra in 2007 from PepsiCo, where he was marketing director, working across the Tropicana, Copella and PJ Smoothies brands.

Prior to joining PepsiCo in 2004, Ghali was marketing director at infant-nutrition company Nutricia.

When Ghali took up his role at Cobra he was briefed by the brand's owner, Lord Bilimoria, to broaden the beer's appeal beyond Indian restaurants.

The ultimate aim was to make the brand an attractive target for acquisition.

A year ago Ghali launched a £14m push across TV, outdoor, press and direct marketing.

An £8.4m above-the-line campaign featured three animated 'everyman' characters ex-changing banter in a pub.

Last month, Cobra rolled out a free 'iBanter' app for the iPhone. This sends out a weekly video of a close-up of the mouth of a comedian telling a joke. Users are intended to hold their phone up to their face while playing the video to create the appearance that they are speaking.

Cobra also launched a series of humorous pub-based podcasts last year. The Cobra Pubcast was hosted by Xfm radio DJ Danny Wallace and comedian Dom Joly.

Last November, Bilimoria announced his desire to sell the business for £200m. Diageo and SABMillier were said to be among the companies initially interested in the acquisition.

However, it now looks unlikely that the sale to Molson Coors will go through at the original asking price, due to the declining bar, restaurant and off-trade markets. Additionally, while Cobra's net sales are forecast to rise over the next three years, it has been hit by mounting losses.