Seven of Australia's top 10 beer brands may change hands as Foster's Group is shaping up to a takeover proposal from a UK rival. Curiously, the eponymous Foster's Lager is actually more popular in the UK than in Australia. About 1.2 billion pints (682 million litres) are drunk in Britain every year and billions more around the world – as opposed to only 100 million litres in Australia – which prompts the question: Does being Australian really matter? The welfare of employees, partners and other stakeholders in a takeover must be considered. But in the context of the brands, a marketing-driven association with Australia's desirable lifestyle is what counts, suggests Dean Wilkie, a lecturer at the Australian School of Business. While the brands may change hands, those who regularly wrap theirs around a glass or can of Foster's amber liquid will probably remain oblivious to the change, Wilkie tells Julian Lorkin of Knowledge@Australian School of Business.
An edited transcript of the interview follows.