AB InBev Bashing Craft?

So, my point was that the AB association has hurt them. Craft drinkers know and they don't drink anymore or the breweries haven't kept up to satisfy the demand for emerging variants and styles. Pretty sure I referenced CBA, and the non-craft cut-off is 25%. Last I checked 35% qualifies as significant and probably gives AB largest share.

 

Also, not sure which brewery you are referring to. Which employee-owned brewery sold to AB? Not saying it's not true. Just unaware of that happening.

 

Full Sail Brewing. Did not say they sold to AB, just that the employee owned brewery sold and so are employee owned breweries not immune to being sold. Info here.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...s-vote-to-sell-to-private-equity-firm.264937/

 

Yes it could be the association with AB but it might be other factors as well, such as not particularly good beer. Goose Island which is 100% owned by ABInBev has not suffered decline or difficulty and in fact appears to be thriving and expanding their distribution footprint.

Yes 35% is indeed probably the largest share of CBA ownership but it does not give AB ownership control of either the CBA nor a "member" brewery such as Kona. And that is not concealed from the public. Any one who cares to know who owns Kona can use Google to find out the ownership trail.

 

You're missing the point. They're making fun of craft, sure, but moreso, they're making fun of craft drinkers. They're making fun of the perceived bells and whistles.

What they're conveying is 'We do it this way because it matters and we care about a well-made product, just like your truck, gun, washer/dryer, etc. We don't need any of that fancy shit those skinny-jeans wearing weenies do because our product is simply better made and unpretentious, just like you.'

Hamfisted? Probably. Out of touch? Maybe a little. But don't forget, you as a member of BeerAdvocate, are in a tiny minority. You probably have a little more understanding of brewing and beer than ABI's target demographic, which you're certainly not a part of. They've got a pretty good idea as to what they're doing. That doesn't mean it'll work and it doesn't have to, at least in terms of this ad campaign. They're buying craft breweries and shares in craft breweries because it increases their reach. How many people here refer to Bud of all stripes and colors as 'swill', 'horsepiss', 'garbage', etc, and yet will buy BCBS as soon as it's on the shelves? I'm not arguing the ethics of being anti-ABI and still buying BCBS. I am saying that big business are big because they know what they're doing. They know how to make money and are reasonably adept at moving with the market.

The overwhelming majority of beer buyers won't care about their hypocrisy. It might make them raise an eyebrow if you were to tell them 'Hey, did you know that Honkers is technically brewed by Budweiser?' But provide them with that list of who owns how much of what and I'd bet they'd lose interest pretty quick.

 

So let's say you drink a pumpkin ale in October, and you drink Bud after you mow your lawn. You see an ad in which AB engages in nasty cultural sterotypes against you. Are you really inclined to drink more Bud?

That their decline has slowed does not suggest to me that the campaign is,successful. Their goal is to halt the decline, and they have not yet done so.

 

I think most people don't care. I think most people wouldn't get offended by an advertising campaign for beer.

 

They are not feeding off of craft trends at all. Almost every single ad I have ever seen for Budweiser mentions the Beechwood aging, and they could care less about barrel aged craft beers.

 

Indeed, Beechwood Aging has been part of the Bud slogans and brewing process for longer than most people on this site have been alive.

 

Bakken Bock, Bock Bock (throw anything in a bourbon barrel and I'll try it) and other dopplebocks are the ones I like

 

Ah then you do like some lagers... That's a good sign and I bet in the right area of the country you could find several others you'd like....

I mentioned PA before. Here's a link to a very small, very local brewery that does almost nothing but lagers and is fairly popular in their quite limited distribution footprint.

http://www.straubbeer.com/home.php

All I've had have been good. Not world class, but enjoyable and quite drinkable.

 

Having a son in college, I can tell you from experience, these ads don't influence him/them. What influences them is that fine line between cost/taste/gravity. It doesn't phase me to buy a $10 6r, but to him that is like a very expensive purchase. They have good taste buds, the shit drank half the Jai Alai I brought back from Florida and about 3 6rs of mine when we were down there (if he could rate, he would give it a 5). But in college it is about the cost of the buzz. So I have a feeling in the upcoming years that there will be a larger share of Bud going to craft when these college age kids get jobs and start working and buying their own beer with their new salaries.

 

I would argue there are a significant percentage (perhaps greater as you move to the higher end of the age group) that truthfully and honestly prefer AALs. Meat and potatoes.

I do recall this from my education process, but in this case, they aren't specifically mentioning a competitor, and the "competitor" in this case isn't a significant one. So what are we at? 88 to 12, so really 50ish to 12ish - with the other 38 being MillerCoors? Your point is taken, but I think it's a paler comparison of Coke mentioning Pepsi, the classic argument as I recall from my (dated) business education.
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And yes - a I read a few posts as to how this might be really going after the 38% (to use my made up numbers)... but to me that would be a more complex interpretation that may be true, but seems a stretch compared to other points people have made (like trying to slow craft growth)

While I quoted to rebuff slightly @Warren2621's point, I agree with him to a degree. Younger people will grow up with a wider range of options, and will presumably reward the better options, whatever they may be. "Retirement age guys" from a marketing point of view have a limited worth in going after. They are strong current customers, but probably not a threat to abandon a brand. So, is this campaign to reinforce retirement age guys who have made their brand loyalty decision already (likely 30 years ago) that aren't threatening to leave? Or prevent them from where they likely weren't going anywhere? Or to win them over from another AAL? (Honest questions which I have obvious ideas on the answers, but no knowledge).

 

If it hurts you, then they win because now craft fans are paying attention to them again
It is hypocritical yea. This stuff makes me think like. Macro is like an old friend from high school. Who never grew up. He sometimes comes around and hey its cool on occasion, but only in short terms because hes still immature. Drama sells. No thank you from this guy.

 

More like (rounded off to nearest whole number):

45% - AB
26% - MC
7% - Constellation (Corona and rest of GM brands)
4% - Heineken (inc. their Mexican CM and ex-SN UK/IE brands)
2.5% - Pabst
1% - Diageo/Guinness
1% - NAB
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Since the craft era began in the late '70s, it has been the "Imports" segment that has gained the largest share of the US market - now at around 14% - not "Craft". And the largest share (more than half) of Imports is now made up of Mexican AAL's. By comparison, in 1978, Mexican imports to the US were 205,000 bbl. when the total US beer market was in the 150-160 million barrel range.

Clearly much of the lost US macro brewers' market share with the disappearance of half of the US Big Six of the 1980s (Schlitz/Stroh, Heileman and, essentially, Pabst) has been replaced by the Mexican brands - more expensive versions of the same adjunct light lager style.

 

Do you have an idea of what % of corn is used in American Lager?

 

Only us old fucks know but AAL drinkers are the original beer snobs in this country and have been making fun of fine beer lovers, both in ads and in reality, for many, many years, done more in earnest now that fine beer has become more popular. There is no new campaign, it is just a continuation. Ironic, isn't it, we now are seen as the snobs?

 

No, not really, hadn't every thought about that. Maybe @JackHorzempa has some idea of the % of corn they use in that beer, he's also a fan of their beers and knows a lot more about stuff like than than I do. But if it ever turns out you're going to be over in that area of PA I recommend you try to set aside the time to pre-schedule a tour. Interesting brewery to visit.

 

I haven't beer to Straub but have enjoyed their beer in the past. I've just been wondering what an AAL would taste like if only 10/15% (or less) of the grain bill was corn or rice instead of the 30% that seems common.

 

Straub American Lager is the new name for their traditional AAL, previously known simply as Straub Beer. If the recipe remains the same as it was, sources in the 1970s quoting the brewery put the malt-adjunct (flaked corn) rate at 2-to-1.

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