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Brewed the hard way it would seem... (even though plenty of craft brewers make lagers too, and do a better job.)
During the third quarter of the Super Bowl, Budweiser aired an ad taking aim at craft brewing, turning their nose up at it, and taking cheap shots at craft drinkers. They actually made fun of people for drinking beer, that by beer standards, is better.
At this point, over 6 breweries just in Colorado have vowed to brew a pumpkin-peach ale to commemorate Budweiser's blunder.
Their hypocritical "you are with us or against us" stance is one of the more laughable aspects of the commercial, as AB In-Bev has spent millions acquiring many craft brewers. Even better yet, was Miller-Coors's response, which took the opposite position:
As you can see, Miller-Coors took the high road, and essentially said, "We are all in this together." While I am not a huge fan of their brand, I really appreciate this stance on the issue. Especially when Budweiser is using their distribution system to strong-arm retailers out of carrying craft brands.
The backlash to Bud's ad doesn't stop there. In fact, many parodies have popped up. *The last one might be a little NSFW, but only a little.*
The message is clear. Budweiser is scared. Their market share keeps dropping. Young people are abandoning their brand. They have a solution though... mocking the new generation of beer drinkers.
My opinion is: It's beer. Don't take it so seriously.
As for Budweiser being "scared" - The joke seems to have sailed over your head.
So you don't think that their ad attacks craft brewing?
I also don't get how you can say other people take it so seriously, but you choose to insult my intelligence because I have pointed out the irony and hypocrisy of their attack ad.
Explain the joke to me please, oh wise one.
(Do you not see the irony of saying craft beer is "taking it to seriously", when the parodies are responding in kind to what Budweiser aired? By that logic Bud is taking it to seriously and the craft community is just making fun of them. Maybe that sailed right over your head.)
I found it refreshing when Budweiser said they were proud to be a macro beer. Craft beer fans love to proclaim their pride, & then many will also go on to rip macros. Maybe craft beers had this poke coming? Yes, Budweiser may have stepped over the line a little by picking on the small guy. I remember reading an article earlier this year that the craft beer market sales are only 7% therefore, Budweiser alone has more sales than the craft beers combined. Like so many others, Bud does a terrific job with their product. Perhaps, they could have focused more on this & their unique brewing process in the ad. I have some in my fridge right now along with some white IPAs. Most of the time, I want a simple, clean, semi-dry beer, with no skunk & go for the Budweiser. Once in awhile it's nice to have a craft beer though. Variety is wonderful.
EDIT: I found an article for sales #. It's not the article I originally read, but it discusses the same findings.
Quote:
Realize that craft beer sales are up from a small base, and today ALL craft beer sales still account for only 7.6% of the market. In fact, ALL craft beers combined sell only the same volume as the now smaller Budweiser.
I found it refreshing when Budweiser said they were proud to be a macro beer. Craft beer fans love to proclaim their pride, & then many will also go on to rip macros. Maybe craft beers had this poke coming? Yes, Budweiser may have stepped over the line a little by picking on the small guy. I remember reading an article earlier this year that the craft beer market sales are only 7% therefore, Budweiser alone has more sales than the craft beers combined. Like so many others, Bud does a terrific job with their product. Perhaps, they could have focused more on this & their unique brewing process in the ad. I have some in my fridge right now along with some white IPAs. Most of the time, I want a simple, clean, semi-dry beer, with no skunk & go for the Budweiser. Once in awhile it's nice to have a craft beer though. Variety is wonderful.
If Bud wants to be proud....then can be....but Bud is tone deaf for this one. They are buying micro breweries up...in fact the week before this ad aired, they bought a micro known for a pumpkin-peach ale. And they turn around and make fun of it?
They are used to being 'large and in charge' and can't handle that they are losing market shares and people have stopped thinking that the only beer is weak macro pilsner. They acted like a bully lashing out...and are being called on the carpet for it. Poor them.
I do think they are concerned....or they wouldn't be buying up micros. The macros have never lost market share....it's shifted a bit between the other biggies and sometimes liquor sales cut slightly into it...but never have they lost so much so quickly...so yeh...they are worried.
In the late 80's Budweiser was selling about 50 million barrels of beer a year...
Quote:
...But according to the The Wall Street Journal, Budweiser shipped only 16 million barrels in 2013, down from 30 million in 2003. And what's worse, the number doesn't figure to get better anytime soon. A stunning 44 percent of people aged 21 to 27 have apparently never sipped an ice cold Bud.
Their market share has been dropping steadily and alarmingly, whilst craft brewing has been enjoying to opposite trend. Budweiser just spent nearly 10 million dollars on a childish attack ad aimed at craft brewing. So yeah, to any outside observer who knows the facts, Budweiser looks scared.
I found it refreshing when Budweiser said they were proud to be a macro beer. Craft beer fans love to proclaim their pride, & then many will also go on to rip macros. Maybe craft beers had this poke coming? Yes, Budweiser may have stepped over the line a little by picking on the small guy. I remember reading an article earlier this year that the craft beer market sales are only 7% therefore, Budweiser alone has more sales than the craft beers combined. Like so many others, Bud does a terrific job with their product. Perhaps, they could have focused more on this & their unique brewing process in the ad. I have some in my fridge right now along with some white IPAs. Most of the time, I want a simple, clean, semi-dry beer, with no skunk & go for the Budweiser. Once in awhile it's nice to have a craft beer though. Variety is wonderful.
That is cool and all, but while craft beer is enjoying healthy growth rates, Budweiser has went from the number 1 selling beer to barely relevant. They have went from selling 50 million barrels a year in the late 80's to only 16 million in 2013.
That is a 68% drop in sales over a couple of decades. Over the last decade, craft brewing has seen a 10.9% increase in sales. Budweiser now makes up less than 7 percent of the market, while craft brewing makes up 7.8 percent.
This seems less impressive/relevant until you remember that AB is spending nearly 10 million dollars to attack craft brewing, while simultaneously spending millions of dollars acquiring craft competitors. It kinda reaks of desperation.
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Yes, Budweiser may have stepped over the line a little by picking on the small guy. I remember reading an article earlier this year that the craft beer market sales are only 7% therefore, Budweiser alone has more sales than the craft beers combined. Like so many others, Bud does a terrific job with their product. Perhaps, they could have focused more on this & their unique brewing process in the ad. I have some in my fridge right now along with some white IPAs. Most of the time, I want a simple, clean, semi-dry beer, with no skunk & go for the Budweiser. Once in awhile it's nice to have a craft beer though. Variety is wonderful. 
