Myself and Azania Andrews, the Vice President of Marketing, for Michelob ULTRA at Anheuser-Busch, recently had an opportunity to share the Michelob Ultra story at the ANA’s “Masters of Marketing 2018” conference in Orlando.
It’s no secret: American light beer has seen better days, with declines in volume, occasions, and category share.
To defy this trend, we took an unconventional approach with Michelob ULTRA: Instead of promising long term diet benefits (its old positioning), it began behaving like an active lifestyle brand, offering immediate social rewards.
Leveraging the consumer belief that one should be able to “work out and go out” and that “you can stay fit and stay fun,” the brand introduced its new positioning during Super Bowl 50 with a series of smart partnerships and activations, as well as strategic content. In two short years, Michelob ULTRA’s new active lifestyle persona has bucked the category’s decline, leading to skyrocketing growth for the brand. This year, Michelob ULTRA overtook Corona, one of America’s biggest premium import brand, becoming a clear standout brand in the light beer category.
See below for the full presentation:
