Marketing Plan for Budweiser

The author chooses t0 write the report about Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light because it is the best-selling beer in the world. In this report the author has outlined in detail the current status by using the SWOT and PESTLE analysis of the company Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch “is among the global company’s largest and most technologically capable breweries” (About, n.d.). On Anheuser-busch.com, you can find a lot of information about the company and their products. The headquarters of Anheuser Busch is located at One Busch Place St. Louis, MO 63118 (About, n.d.). The most known beer families that they produce are the Budweiser and bud light Family. There are numerous brands that Anheuser-Busch produces aside from Budweiser and Bud light. Initial searching for Bud Light Company because most of my family is enthralled by this beer, and upon further researching the beer brand, it was surprising to find that it was actually owned and manufactured by another company, Anheuser-Busch, that also manufactured

Budweiser is one of the best-known brands of beer in America. Their ads and commercials have always been known for being humorous and entertaining. Millions of people look forward to seeing the Super Bowl half-time commercials mostly because of Budweiser’s notorious commercials. Budweiser takes advantage of its reputation and makes commercials that are witty and fun for people to watch. They incorporate humor and a certain kind of sex appeal into their ads to sell their beer to men and send the message that there is nothing more pleasing in life than drinking Budweiser.

The Bud Light brand is second to none when it comes to light beer and a good time. Although, first considered a flop in the United States after its introduction in 1982, Bud Light surged up the charts after a rebranding effort in 1986. The “Gimme a Light” campaign by the D’Arcy McManus & Mansius agency altered the brands path forever. Since then, Bud Light has drastically increased its market share while still maintaining its success in the global light beer and beverage market.

     In this paper I will be talking about the U.S. beer industry and in short an overview of the brewing industry worldwide. I will talk about the barriers to entry, economies of scale, government intervention, pricing, current market trends, product differentiation, and imports. The focus being mainly on the U.S. brewing industry oligopoly. The U.S. brewing industry has three major players: Anheuser-Busch, SAB Miller, and Coors/Molson. Anheuser-Busch is currently the largest brewer in the world, producing over 100 million barrels a year. Anheuser-Busch currently owns over 50% of the market in the United States, with Miller trailing behind at 20% and Coors at about 11% with the rest of the market occupied by imports and craft breweries. When analyzing any industry, how easy it is for newcomers to enter the market is a great importance. If there are high barriers to entry

In order to grow, Boston Beer must continue to increase its market share in the overall beer market. The market continues to be dominated by the large scale breweries like Anheuser Busch, Adolph Coors Co, and Miller Brewing Co. Craft Breweries are beginning to increase their share in the overall market. It is expected that craft breweries will account for 5% of the overall beer market in 2000, up from 1.4%. However, there is increased competition in the craft beer market. There were 165 new craft brewers in 1994. This increased the total of craft breweries in the US to 750. Boston Beer will be competing with these 750 breweries for 5% of the 5 billion in US beer revenues.

Boston Beer Company (BBC) has enjoyed much success with their craft beers with Samuel Adams as their main focus. Being the leader of this segment, overtopping five of their competitors combined (Exhibit 1), the company now must decide how to take advantage of the light beer market. Boston Lightship, their current light beer, had been a small contributor in BBC’s product line. Currently, it is facing dwindling sales with product volumes down from 12 000 cases per month to 3000 cases per month.

Boston Beer Company Mission statement is to “seek long-term profitable growth by offering the highest quality product to the U.S. beer drinker”

The Boston Beer Company, Inc., founded in 1984, is a leading brewer in United States, offering wide variety of high quality full-flavored, handcraftedbeers. It is distinctive due to the time-honored recipe of brewing and authentic, consistent quality of alcoholic beverages. Samuel Adams Boston Lager is the pride of BBC, regular handcrafted beer “stands for quality, inner self-worth, authenticity, and unique New England or Yankee toughness” ( Martin Roper, Chief Operating Officer). Unfortunately, the company experienced the failure of conquering light beer segment

Budweiser and Bud Light are the No.1 and No. 2 best-selling beers in the world. Miller, their closest rival maintains 22.1% of the market share. The following chart illustrates market share in 1999 for the nation’s leading breweries.

Beer has a long history. In 2000 B.C.E., Sumerians had prepared eight different beer types, ranging from “strong,” “red brown,” and “good dark” (Mauk, 2013). Breweries have created their own recipes, brewed their own beers—some with alcohol, some without. Over the past few years, craft beer gained steady market share away from the national and international breweries (Murray & O 'Neill, 2012). Separating one beer from the next is the product itself, and what the product has to offer. Competition is ferocious due to more informed, sophisticated consumers, as well as globalization and the spread of technology (Murray & O 'Neill, 2012).

Anheuser-Busch Inbev is one of the largest breweries in the world. “Currently, Anheuser-Busch InBev has a product list of more than 200 beers, including global best-sellers Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, multi-country brands like Leffe and Hoegaarden, and strong “local jewels” such as Bud Light, Skol, Brahma, Quilmes, Michelob, Harbin, Sedrin, Cass, Klinskoye, Sibirskaya Korona, Chernigivske, and Jupiler, among others that have helped to make the company so successful. In addition,

2》 Other beer brands have occupied large market capacity, market share of Carlsberg and Budweiser far exceeds that of Tsingtao beer

Rivalry in the craft beer industry is high and in addition to the excise tax and overall high manufacturing cost have promoted mergers and acquisitions in order to consolidate and globalize the industry. Anheuser-Busch InBev merged with Belgium-based Inbev as one of the major transactions in 2008, forming Anheuser-Busch InBev. Heineken (HEINY) another major brewer, acquired the beer business of FEMSA in 2010. As in 2013, Anheuser- Busch InBev one of the market leaders acquired Grupo Modelo, Mexican brewer. In the following year 2014, Anheuser- Busch InBev reacquire Oriental Brewery, South Korea brewer. (Sharon Bailey) The acquisitions combined their market share and currently owns 41.2 percent of the US market.(Statista)

In 2011, local company Asia Pacific Breweries dominated the competition with a 64% volume share. This was due to the overwhelming popularity of its brand, Tiger, which had a 35% volume share. Tiger Beer faces strong competition, but can vie for higher market share through product differentiation. Other rivalry brands were Heineken and Carlsberg. The intensity of rivalry helps decide the extent of the value of brands and products in which will create head-to-head competition. It also