Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/64274
Also new to Heineken USA is Amstel Wheat, which tested in on-premised accounts in select markets beginning last September. The new beer will expand to additional markets this year. "Innovation is a crucial component to executing against our strategy," Blazek said. P Aiding Discovery laying off their heritage, a number of imports have let consumers "discover" their brands. They typ- ically appeal to both consumers who appreciate both the flavor and authentici- ty of different beers in the same way they appreciate craft beers, and "badge" drinkers who want to associate with the status of drinking a well-crafted import. The third best-selling imported beer in the U.S., Modelo Especial gained an impressive 14.0% last year. "Discovery beers are driving growth for the indus- try," said Sheila Stanziale, president of Diageo Guinness USA, "which is a perfect fit for Guinness. American beer consumers are showing their demand for more interesting, flavorful products. They've opened up to new products with different taste profiles while demanding better, more quality beers like Guinness. These discovery brands also deliver on the demand for richer stories and legendary background and heritage." Guinness Draught is doing well in both on- and off- premise accounts, with sales up 1.0% last year. But the brand's big push this year since St. Patrick's Day has been Guinness Black Lager. This spring, Guinness sponsored reigning US Open golf champion Graeme McDowell, and finishes up the Guinness Black 9 golf promotion at retail in May, giving consumers a reason to buy refreshing Black Lager through the summer. Stella Artois, from Anheuser-Busch InBev, has per- haps been the most successful at the "discovery" strate- gy in recent years, rising to the number-seven spot on the list of best-selling imports. Brand sales surpassed 1 million barrels last year, according to Oleshak. The brand plays off its Belgian heritage, since consumers rec- ognize Belgium as one of the great beer-producing nations. Its "chalice" campaign has added a halo of sophistication to the brand, and its "chalice factory" exe- cution just ended in May, distributed 100,000 engraved chalices to consumers through the end of March. Coming off its mint julep chalice tie-in with the Kentucky Derby, Stella plans a Belgian sample pack in both 12-oz. and 24-oz. packages in June. Throughout the summer, Stella will take advantage of experiential platforms such as events sponsored by Food & Wine magazine in Kohler, Wis., and Monterey, Calif., where it can engage consumers and talk about beer flights, food pairings, the importance of pouring and more beer lore. At the holidays, starting in October, Stella Artois will offer retailers a special fireplace display to help merchandise a 750 ml bottle of Stella in a red, gift- wrapped package. Oleshak expects the promotion will spur a lot of holiday gift- giving. Hoegaarten and Leffe, two other Belgian ales, will piggyback on Stella's activities throughout the year, substan- tially boosting their continued growth. Hoegaarden's volume was up 12.6% last year, and Leffe's, with both brown and blond ales, was up a whopping 49.5%. A-B InBev's German brand, Beck's, plans a summer promotion to celebrate some of today's most original artists. From early May through July, their art- work will be displayed on a series of six limited-edition art bottles in six-, 12- and 24-packs. Artists include Grammy-nominated singer M.I.A., Aerosyn-Lex from New York, Will Chyr from Chicago and Geoff McFetridge from L.A. among others. SABMiller's Tenth & Blake unit also has a portfolio of occasion-based beers that the importer puts in places where consumers can discover them. Italian beer Peroni, for example, was up about 8% last year, according to Heneman. "I look at 'like' brands," Heneman said, "such as Peroni and Stella Artois, or Pilsner Urquell and Guinness. Stella Artois has really validated that there's a drinker seeking a level of status on certain occasions. Peroni is the same kind of badge brand." Peroni is bringing in Italian brand ambassadors this summer in key markets and will focus on young design- ers at fashion events. Consumers can expect to see the brand in places like the Hamptons this summer, for example, instead of New York City. Peroni also is more focused on digital media and beautifully shot cinema advertising to show how stylish the brand is. Pilsner Urquell appeals to craft beer drinkers, in the same way Guinness does, Heneman said. To keep the Heineken USA's Newcastle Brown Ale just launched a new marketing campaign, themed, "No Bollocks." Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • May/June 2012 • 33