A-B: Crying in their Beer?

[CampAjohn]

Beer consumption slumped again last year, losing ~2% to wine and the hard stuff. This article from the Washington Post details the fevered response from the Boys (and Girls) at Bud:

Beer losing its fizz among the drinking set

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1010beer-drinkers10-ON.html

[Insidious Rex]

Miller executives believe that they marketed their way into this corner and they can market their way out of it. Tom Long, the chief marketing officer for Miller, offers as proof the fact that some beers in the industry are doing well - such as imports and craft beers - while others are not. Those that are selling well, he said, have a story, an image, a resonance with consumers.

...or maybe they actually taste good? Why dont they ever get that? I think they are stuck in perminant marketing mode. The beer itself is irrelevant to them.

[fretlessman71]

I think you're exactly right. Have you ever known salesmen who have moved from one job to the other to the next, always selling a different thing than they were the last time, but always in a sales position? Some people are just good at it, and that's where they focus their skill. Their thought process seems to be "What can I do to get people to buy more of this product, OTHER than simply improving the product?" I guess if they don't have control over how the product is made, they're doing the best they can, you know? Hard to fault someone for doing their job, even if you don't like the product they're hawking...

[chazwicke]

I have noticed that the beer commercials are changing away from the babes a bit. yesterday during the Redskins game both Auggie Bush and Pete Coors were hocking their products themselves.

[fretlessman71]

Personally, I see this as a good trend. I don't like what the oversexed commercials do for the popular opinion of beer drinkers in this country. Those commercials, plus the one Hogie mentioned where the guy is being trained to "pour down the center" to release aroma, can only be a good thing in the long run, no? :)

Oh yeah, chaz: Ian Gold is laughing at you today...

[xtalman]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I have noticed that the beer commercials are changing away from the babes a bit. yesterday during the Redskins game both Auggie Bush and Pete Coors were hocking their products themselves.

Coors has been doing commercials for quite awhile now, usually between the bikini babes ones. I think he had to stop for awhile though when he was running for some office in CO, governor maybe?

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by fretlessman71

Oh yeah, chaz: Ian Gold is laughing at you today... :mad:

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by xtalman
Coors has been doing commercials for quite awhile now, usually between the bikini babes ones. I think he had to stop for awhile though when he was running for some office in CO, governor maybe?


Yeah I've seen him in commercials for a long time.

If I was advertising beer, I'd portray it as the sophisticated drink it really is. When it is good beer that is.

I'd not seen the commercial that shows how to properly pour beer. Sound great!

[Insidious Rex]

I find Pete Coors to be mildly disturbing. He always reminds me of the Lloyd Braun character on Seinfeld every time I see him even though I havent seen that episode in years and years. Its uncanny. He looks just like him and acts just like him. Hes got this empty stare and goofy grin and doesnt seem to have much useful to say. Why use that to promote your product. Then again, Orville Redenbocker worked wonders for his...

[JorisP]

A-B: Crying in their Beer?

To be able to cry in one's beer, one has to drink beer.
It is of course perfectly reasonable to think the directors of A.-B. only drink wine.

[Lamprey]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
I think you're exactly right. Have you ever known salesmen who have moved from one job to the other to the next, always selling a different thing than they were the last time, but always in a sales position? Some people are just good at it, and that's where they focus their skill. Their thought process seems to be "What can I do to get people to buy more of this product, OTHER than simply improving the product?" I guess if they don't have control over how the product is made, they're doing the best they can, you know? Hard to fault someone for doing their job, even if you don't like the product they're hawking...

Just a couple weeks ago I stopped in a new bar that opened up...(luckily they had one good micro on tap). The bartenders started filling about 20 AB buckets with AB products...they said there was an AB distributers party being held (or something like that). Some young fellow introduced himself to 2 guys sitting next to me...he noticed one had a "Select"...well, this young guy went off on how yesterday he attended 'beer school' and today he toured the AB plant. He went on about how impressed he was with AB, the quality of their brewing process, how the beer they are drinking isn't more than 7 days old and that he doesn't understand why people drink Guiness because it is much older than the Bud you can get. The short of it is, this guy was 'selling' something he really knew nothing about. He did make a good pitch...to the macro drinker audience.

[BrewDog]

Across many consumer product industries, manufacturers are finding that people want better things: richer coffee, tastier food, bigger houses, silkier sheets, extra amenities in cars, higher design in their home furnishings and more luxurious bathrooms. Manufacturers and designers are scrambling to bring what's often called "a higher taste profile" to the masses.

That is playing out in the beer industry, too, experts say.


Could've fooled me.


"They're transitioning from being Budweiser to being a malt-based alcohol producer," Schuhmacher said. "They have tremendous capabilities, tremendous manufacturing capabilities that people may not realize."


I guess this is accurate, no matter how bad it tastes (or lack thereof)

[L.H.H.H.Brown]

It is of course perfectly reasonable to think the directors of A.-B. only drink wine.

Be nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes:

[Wit Memo Jeff]

Last week's NY Times business section had an article about beer losing market share to other alcoholic beverages, like wine and hard liquor, and how this has sent the big breweries scrambling. Apparently, this is due to (1) baby boomers growing up and wanting something more sophisticated and upscale that also doesn't fill them up, and (2) young people used to having a myriad of choices not finding that individualiy in beer as opposed to, say, appletinis. The article faulted beer for not having 'moved up' as in upscale.

Buried deep in the article was mention of one area of the beer market that has increased its sales: craft brews and imports. Is this because they have taste, variety and character? No, according to the article, it's because they're preceived as higher status and more expensive.

I guess that's the sort of analysis you can expect from the business sectioin.

[Insidious Rex]

uh isnt that the very same article?

[Wit Memo Jeff]

Well whaddya know... my "bad."