Corona Extra , which won a Growth Brand for Best Advertising & Promotion Campaigns , also tapped into a multicultural demographic .
“ Consumers are connecting with Corona ’ s ‘ La Vida Mas Fina ’ or ‘ The Fine Life ’ mindset , which has led to the brand succeeding so well in the past year ,” says Alex Schultz , VP , brand marketing , Corona . “ Our ads featuring Snoop Dogg have really resonated with the Corona drinker as well as invited new fans onto our beach .”
“ The brand is also focused on ensuring we ’ re at the center of culture and continuing to be part of the cultural conversations we see happening every day ,” Schultz adds . “ Last summer , we saw consumers creating the ‘ Corona sunrise ’ cocktail , so we joined in on the fun by creating on-premise tools to help share the drink in bars and restaurants and worked with influencers to showcase the trend even more .”
Corona also found success at live sporting events , partnering with teams like the Los Angeles Rams , Miami Heat and San Francisco Giants .
Top Sales Driver Dos Equis has taken advantage of category growth by innovating .
“ In the last two years alone , Dos Equis has doubled the size of its portfolio with six new products , each of which represents the brand ’ s unique take on classic beverages ,” says Ligia Patrocinio , senior brand director , Dos Equis . “ Dos Equis Lime & Salt and Dos Equis Ranch Water brought younger , Hispanics and female consumers to the franchise , and also helped our core Lager business grow . A halo effect with no cannibalization elevated the entire brand .”
This July , the company launched Dos Equis Margarita Classic Lime . The new RTD rolled out in select markets including New Mexico , New Jersey , Colorado , Massachusetts , Louisiana , Illinois , Las Vegas and Georgia . It expands nationwide in the coming months .
LEADING WITH LIGHT With the “ healthier ” drinking trend now in full force , lowand no-ABV beers have found a foothold .
Yuengling won a Best New Products award for their Yuengling Light Lager 99 .
“ With Flight and Light Lager , for instance , we saw a growing desire amongst health-conscious consumers for more upscale light brands , as well as an increase in focus on beer with lower carbs and calories ,” says Jennifer Yuengling , VP of operations , and sixth-generation Yuengling sister .
“ We saw a chance to deliver our own interpretations of an upscale light beer , with great taste and stats that are a step up from our competition
“ We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and craft new products that cater to different lifestyles and consumers ,” she adds . “ Throughout 2021 and 2022 , we have seen strong growth from brands like Flight by Yuengling , and our limited release , Yuengling Hershey ’ s Chocolate Porter .”
Launched at the beginning of 2022 , Bud Light Next became Anheuser-Busch ’ s first-ever zero carb beer . It contains 80 calories and 4 % ABV .
The company hopes this successful new product will follow in the footsteps of their very popular seltzer extension .
“ Portfolio extensions like Bud Light Next and Bud Light Seltzer have continued adding incrementality to the entire Bud Light family ,” says Wolf . “ We ’ ve seen continued success in providing our 21 + fans with unique offerings that meet their evolving tastes and preferences , which has helped the entire Bud Light portfolio succeed over the last year .”
Line extensions for popular beer brands has been the common strategy . Consumers still reeling from Covid-19 continue sticking with familiar products instead of experimenting broadly .
How this shift back to loyalty plays out longer term will determine the next year ahead for beer .
www . cheersonline . com Fall 2022 • 27