Earlier this month, MillerCoors called off Cavalry, three years after WPP created the shop for the sole purpose of servicing the Coors brand and new products. Three shops are now in the hunt for the account -- 72andSunny, Deutsch L.A. and 180 L.A. At the same time, the brewer named Mekanism as AOR for its Redd's, Smith & Forge and Henry's Hard Soda brands.
The shift is emblematic of a broader (some say worrisome) trend. Of the nation's top five beer brands, only one -- Corona -- has been with the same lead creative shop since 2010. Corona is also the only brand of the five that has a higher share today than it did in 2010. The other brewers have responded to their sales declines by rapid agency shifts. Bud Light, the nation's largest brand, is on its fifth lead agency since 2010.
But is changing shops the answer? The chart below sheds some light.
Mouse over the chart or click on the brand names to see all the market share data and agencies.
**Handled by a collection of WPP talent including from Ogilvy.
Source: Market share data from Beer Marketer's Insights (full year 2015 share data not available).
Graphics by Chen Wu.
