Asahi Group

Asahi Group sits in the food-and-drink part of the market, best known for beer and other beverages, so it is aimed at buyers who know the big Japanese brands and the companies behind them. By our assessment, it looks solid rather than flashy: the strength is scale, recognised labels and the breadth of a drinks portfolio that can reach beyond one shelf. The trade-off is that a group this large is not a nimble craft brewer, and the experience is the usual one of a serious consumer-goods company rather than a small, distinctive specialist. Asahi Group is stronger as a name you see across categories than as a brand that tries to charm you with personality, and that makes it dependable but not especially vivid. The catalogue marks it with Japan, which fits the way it is usually placed in public view.