Miller Lite beats Budweiser with U.S. World Cup beer giveaway: Marketer's Brief

Welcome to the latest edition of Marketer's Brief, a quick take on marketing news, moves and trends from Ad Age's reporters and editors. Send tips/suggestions to eschultz@adage.com. Here is an example of how being a global brand can get complicated: Budweiser, which has slumped for years in the U.S., but is growing internationally, sought some buzz in England by promising to give out free beer in the country if England beat the U.S. in Tuesday’s women’s World Cup semifinal. Miller Lite, which remains a U.S.-centric brand, pounced, responding on Twitter that it would hand out “100,000 free beers right here in the good ol’ USA” if the U.S. team won, which of course, it did. The idea, which garnered plenty of publicity, was the brainchild of MillerCoors PR agency ICF Next. A Budweiser spokesman in the U.S. pointed out that the beer is a longtime sponsor of the U.S. women's team. Okay, Bud, you’re on. We’ll take the U.S. If we win, we’re giving away 100,000 free beers right here in the good ol’ USA. #TeamUSA Subject to state laws. Locations and amounts may vary.https://t.co/vJf8eSTAiB— Miller Lite (@MillerLite) July 2, 2019 Hold the ‘and’ A U.K. version of one of the most American meals, macaroni and cheese, is making waves across the Internet this week (Perhaps it’s because the World Cup featured USA vs. England yesterday?). Heinz Macaroni Cheese (that’s not a typo, there’s no “and”) comes in a can and, yes, comes from the same company that makes Kraft macaroni and cheese in all of its various shapes, both in boxes and microwaveable cups. In case you’ve missed some of the stories about the product, which note that the product can be found in the U.S. on Amazon, now you’re all caught up. And no, we here at Marketer’s Brief haven’t tried this (yet). Searching for explosions If you’re searching for an Independence Day spectacle, Google has you covered—at least digitally. Anyone who searches for “fireworks” on Google will see an aerial display of fireworks within their results. The tech titan on Wednesday also featured BBQ themed baseball game as its “doodle.” The roster of players includes a watermelon, popcorn, peanuts and a triple-stack cheeseburger. Secret sauce Buffalo Wild Wings is putting its menu on a diet as it looks to get its mojo back. The chain will pare 30 items, while adding a dozen new ones. At a rooftop tasting event in Manhattan, where waiters served B Dubs cuisine on platters, Ad Age got a chance to try some new dishes and reinvented classics slated for release throughout this year, including hand-breaded chicken tenders and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. The brand, purchased last year by Arby’s parent company Inspire Brands, saw U.S. system-wide sales slip by 1 percent in 2018, according to data from Technomic. One of the biggest moves is set to come in November when the sports bar chain will bring back its original circa-1982 buffalo sauce formula, which it describes as a “house-made buttery blend of hot sauce and spices.” Would you buy this? DID NOT SEE THIS COMING - @PabstBlueRibbon HARD COFFEE via @BeerSTJournal https://t.co/WZLXDYkvI9 What category does this grow ? pic.twitter.com/xKiD6Xatv7— Mark Gallo®️ (@guhlo) July 1, 2019 Number of the week 344 percent: The sales lift for insect repellent during the week of Fourth of July in 2018, according to Catalina, which notes that the holiday is the third-highest sales week of the year for grocery stores, behind Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tweet of the week Back when I was a kid, we at least pretended. This is so brazen I’m kind of charmed. pic.twitter.com/5V3XfxxE8Q— Hope Hodge Seck (@HopeSeck) June 30, 2019 Comings and goings Famous Dave’s hired KC Glaser as its new director of marketing, effective July 8. Glaser was most recently director of marketing and guest experience at Buffalo Wild Wings. Contributing: Jessica Wohl, E.J. Schultz, Ethan Jakob Craft

Miller Lite beats Budweiser with U.S. World Cup beer giveaway: Marketer's Brief

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