What’s wrong with Bud Light? The brand shoved Budweiser aside, to become the King of Beers—or at least the King of Anheuser-Busch.
But sales trends continue to disappoint. There’s something obviously wrong, and we think we know – at least in part — what it is.
Consider the latest press release from Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Yesterday the company breathlessly announced that Bud Light is replacing and upgrading existing equipment and providing general facelifts to three Los Angeles boxing gyms with new training equipment and needed repairs to ensure they have what they need to help develop tomorrow’s champions.
How does this inspire people to buy Bud Light?
“We recognize that boxing has deep roots in the Mexican-American community in Los Angeles,” said Jorge Inda Meza, Head of Marketing, Western Region, Anheuser-Busch. “Our hope is that our grassroots efforts help cultivate local talent and strengthen the friendships and comradery that are fostered inside the gyms and throughout the community.”
Assuming that “cultivating local talent and strengthening the friendships and comradery” will make people more favorably disposed to buy Bud Light, just how many people will this initiative reach?
Bud Light hopes to expand that reach by collaborating with Estevan Oriol. The photographer, producer, and urban lifestyle entrepreneur. He’s producing a two-minute documentary that highlights the boxers’ stories and the critical importance of friendships and community bonds. The content will focus on family, friends and the neighborhoods standing behind the young and promising boxers and their longtime trainers in the Mexican-American community.
We could be wrong, but we don’t think there is any substitute for getting a brand’s name in front of as many people as is humanly possible. That’s true whether it’s soup, cereal or beer. And we don’t think rehabbing three gyms in Los Angeles does that – even when it’s paired with a video that will be shown online.