Castle Lite innovates with new packaging that keeps beer ice cold for 3 hours

Castle Lite is one of the biggest premium beer brands on the African continent. According to research the African beer market is the fastest growing global beer market, with an annual average growth rate of 5% between 2013 and 2017.

To differentiate and secure more of that massive emerging market, Castle Lite have adopted a clever strategy of innovation to grow their business.

It's no secret that cold beer is better than warm, or worse still...coldish beer - knowing this Castle Lite have made it their brand mission to capture the demand in the market for 'ice cold beer'.

Their latest innovation is special packaging called 'Cold Lock' that has proven to keep their beer ice cold for up to 3 hours.

'“When developing Cold Lock, we considered various materials, as we wanted to produce environment-friendly packaging. Cold Lock comprises minimal plastic and is made mainly from corrugated cardboard,” says Silke Bucke from Castle.

Double flute laminate lines the entire inside of the packaging. The lamination provides an added layer of insulation, which prevents heat from being transferred while keeping the Cold Lock exterior from getting wet, thereby retaining its strength.

Made in the Eastern Cape and assembled in Johannesburg, the packaging holds 16 Castle Lite 500 ml cans.' - via

Innovation for Castle Lite is not a marketing add-on, which is sadly the way too many companies view innovation. Improving the customer experience of the product is part of the Castle Lite DNA - it's designed into the value proposition. Without a dedicated focus on the continued improvement in customer satisfaction - you're largely fighting a commodity war with your competition, which in Africa is formidable.

#1 Rule of marketing - be first in category

#2 Rule of marketing - if you are not first in your category, make a new category and be first in that.

Great work by Castle Lite in always re-inventing their unique category and making sure that they are #1 in that channel.