I’m not sure what I expected to find as I headed into the backstory for Budweiser.  As I surfed from site to site online, I learned a lot of new facts and details I hadn’t considered before.  Here are a few of the headlines.

The Bud Shootout

The Bud Shootout is coming up this Saturday, February 18th, and it is the reason I selected Bud Light Platinum this week.  I thought it would be cool to parallel the drink selection with this annual exhibition race that kicks off the official NASCAR season with the Daytona 500 one week later.  So, I thought it would be a good idea to hunt up some details on the race for the backstory.  Here’s what I found…..

The race is invitation only and features up to 28 drivers from the previous season.  The event started in 1979 and at that time was called the Busch Clash.  In 1998, the event was renamed the Bud Shootout.  There are two segments to the race – the first is 25 laps and the second is 50 laps.  Before researching this post, I didn’t realize that any drivers in the race that are under 21 years of age have a different decal on their car and cannot participate in any formal activities relating to the race because of the alcohol sponsorship.  For these drivers, the crew chief participates in the driver’s place.  Makes sense, but I never knew that!

Economic Impacts

One of the things that hits you immediately when you start looking into the company is the sheer size.  With a US economy that has struggled over the last few years, I have to appreciate a large brand that has a positive financial impact on individuals and communities.  Even though Anheuser-Busch was purchased by InBev in 2008 and has gone through a series of downsizing initiatives, the company still employes a huge number of people here in the US.

With 48.3% share of US beer sales to retailers, Anheuser-Busch operates 12 breweries across the United States.  To get the beer from the breweries to the store, the product is distributed through a network of more than 500 independent wholesalers.  In addition to the beer production and distribution, the company is also a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is a leading aluminum recycler.

Giving back – I was also very impressed that since 1997, Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation have donated nearly $475 million to charitable organizations in local communities.

Along my search of the backstory, I came across a book on the takeover by InBev called Dethroning the King by Julie Macintosh.  In my memory, I can’t recall too much media stir on this significant the takeover that occurred as the US economy went into the recession.  I may add this read to my wish list to learn a little bit more about what happened.

Advertising

The Budweiser advertising is something that has always been a topic of conversation.  From the Clydesdales to The Real Men of Genius, we remember the ads from the touching to the humorous.  For a little trip down memory lane, head to YouTube and search Budweiser or Bud Light.  I spent a good half hour scrolling through ads and watching my favorites.  I was amazed how the different ads reminded me of different years/times in my life.

On another advertising note, I found that in December of 2011, Bud Light hired McGarry Bowen as the lead creative agency and awarded brand-launching duties to Translation Advertising.  The reports said that the move “signals a move to revitalize the brand, which has the biggest advertising budget of any U.S. beer, but has seen sales slip”.  It will be interesting to see how the advertising approach starts to evolve.

Bud Light Platinum

When I focused specifically on the backstory of Bud Light Platinum, I found that the Platinum brand is being established online with its own unique website, Facebook fan page and even a hashtag on Twitter – #MakeitPlatinum.  With the launch less than a month old, there is still much to come as we discover how this brand will be marketed here in the US.

I was fascinated by one social media story on The Average Joe blog.  The focus of the post was on Bud Light’s strategy, or lack there of, on Twitter during the Superbowl.  While the brand developed a hashtag to allow fans to interact, they did not open a Twitter account to join in the conversation.  In fact, today if you go to Twitter, there is still no @BudLightPlatinum on the site which is amazing to me.  For those interested in social media strategies, take a read of Joe’s post.

Summary

While I learned a lot of new facts, I’m not sure I’ve walked away from this post with some cool stories to share with family and friends.  However, I will head into the Bud Shootout this weekend armed with more details than I had before, I’ve added an interesting new book to my business book wish list, and I got the chance to remember some great Budweiser ads from across the years.  For all of that, I’m thankful for the time I’ve spent on this backstory.