Wired magazine has several full page advertisements for upmarket beer in its current issue, including Michelob’s range of fancy beers (maerzen, wheat, pale ale and porter).
This, coupled with their recent coverage of the hop shortage, suggests that the marketing men, at least, perceive a link between geekiness and the appreciation of beers other than American light lagers.
The Michelob ad is interesting. It talks about the particular malts used (with pictures) and explains how they’re responsible for the colour and flavour of the beer. In other words, they announce that beer, just like computers, music, TV, film and collecting plastic action figures, is something you can be geeky about.
They’re not advertising to beer geeks — they’re trying to create new ones loyal to their brand.
5 replies on “Marketing beer to geeks”
I thought when I read this you’d anagrammed the name of the magazine! Michelob are wasting their time!
Yes, you’re right. Any geek worth his or her salt who doesn’t already know about beer will see the ad; think “Hmm. What’s Porter?”; look it up on Wikipedia; and then, if they like the sound of it, bypass Michelob to go straight for something from a much more credible brewery…
Yes, have to agree. What probably seemed like a good idea at some brainstorming meeting will not work in practice. Another example of marketing people getting it wrong?
I had a Michelob last night. It isn’t too bad.
Stonch — I hear this from various people — the best of a bad bunch is usually the phrase employed. But it’s not one you’d go out of your way for, I guess..?
Went to Zeitgeist yesterday, by the way. Tremendous fun, smashing beer, excellent atmosphere. I gather we drank Andy’s bar dry, though..?