| I have been tracking the beer industry for a while | | | | Aside from the hullabaloo about what material the |
| and am wondering why they just don't "get it" in | | | | beer can or bottle should be made from some |
| their marketing efforts. They continue to fail to | | | | interesting new concepts in beer packaging are |
| package products that are appealing to seniors | | | | starting to surface at last. |
| and women. It's not just the calories that make | | | | I found this one particularly appealing from a |
| this product less appealing to women and seniors | | | | branding perspective. |
| (even with an overflow of tasteless low carb, low | | | | (New Belgium Brewing Introduces the Summer's |
| calorie introductions). | | | | Most Flavorful and Figure-Friendly Beer: Go ahead |
| The product offerings simply don't "connect" with | | | | and reveal a little more this season! Skinny Dip, |
| a target audience other than men. Now that's a | | | | New Belgium Brewing's newest seasonal beer, |
| great marketing ploy. Market to men, but guess | | | | sheds its calories and carbs while sporting a |
| what? By doing this they miss more than 50% of | | | | full-bodied flavor, ranking it as the coolest choice |
| the potential market. It's not going to get any | | | | for a figure-friendly and highly refreshing summer |
| better no matter how many "beer bimbo" | | | | beer.) |
| advertisements they generate. With all the beer | | | | Other new packaging includes Heineken's keg can |
| giants scrambling for a market share, it is remiss | | | | for the fridge, which gives people draft beer at |
| and an opportunity lost not to market to women | | | | home. But, seriously, as much as I love beer, I'm |
| and seniors. | | | | not going to buy it in a keg except for a special |
| This headline compelled me to explore the subject | | | | occasion. |
| a little more. | | | | Move over coosies... (Coors Light's "cold in hand" |
| (Anheuser-Busch Q1 Profit Declines.) It seems | | | | innovation, the Cold Wrap Bottle, is a fusion of |
| that beer hasn't been able to move beyond the | | | | rocket science and Rocky Mountain cold |
| traditional male oriented marketing campaigns. | | | | refreshment. Each Cold Wrap Bottle has a 360 |
| Beer sales in general have been on the decline | | | | degrees label with Outlast(R) technology to keep |
| while wine sales are on the upswing. I could give | | | | beer colder longer by helping to keep the heat of |
| you dozens of examples of new wine products | | | | a drinker's hand away from the beer. Outlast(R) |
| targeting women and seniors with their product | | | | Thermocules(TM), the same high-tech insulator |
| packaging. The package is using everything from | | | | developed for space travel, actually reflects the |
| cute and cuddly creatures to exotic and romantic | | | | heat from the hand, making the cold refreshment |
| offerings. | | | | inside the bottle last longer). |
| Wine has really gone "niche" in their product | | | | No more warm beer. Now that's innovation. |
| development, even wines that are offered in pink | | | | I'm sure there are more exciting innovations that |
| packaging (Ugh.) But the upsurge in wine sales has | | | | I'm not aware of. I did run across several fruit |
| proven that the packaging works. Hopefully, the | | | | flavored beers and I can really get excited by |
| beer industry will take notice. | | | | Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, mmm chocolate. |
| I wrote about clever ways to market wine to | | | | But for the most part, beer better get connected |
| women in my article "Wooing Women with | | | | with the two largest demographic audiences with |
| Packaging." If you need a copy it's in the "Best of | | | | their product packaging (seniors and women) if |
| The Diva" Part # 1 available at | | | | they expect future profits and not losses. |