For what reasons did Magners develop a sponsorship strategy?

With beer the dominant player in the UK pub market, cider was until recently a mature market in decline. Cider was perceived to be a cheap drink attracting first-time drinkers, students and street alcoholics. It was considered mainly a man’s drink or, at best, an occasional or summer drink, according to women. This negative image limited sales – which in 2005 amounted to £1.2 billion, compared with beer’s £19 billion.
The world’s largest cider maker is Bulmers, owned by Heineken International. Bulmers’s largest sub-brand, Strongbow, is the UK’s market leader. Its largest competitor is Magners, owned by C&C Group.
Once a small domestic Irish cider brand, Magners decided to challenge Bulmers by attacking the British market with an aggressive strategy to change the brand perception of cider.