| Anyone who's studied marketing in the past 40 years has read this man's work. The legendary Jack Trout is widely considered the expert on marketing. His wisdom has appeared in numerous books and articles. In all of that, his focus on differentiation as key to marketing success has been passionate and consistent. It is part of what he calls "the essence of marketing." |  Jack Trout |
From one product category to the next, examples abound of this wisdom paying off for marketers through the years. The beer business offers many such case studies. To cite a few...
- In the early 1900s, ad pioneer Claude Hopkins, after touring the Schlitz Milwaukee brewery, penned the famous and successful line "bottles washed with live steam" to differentiate the brand.
- Premium light beer, the last earth-shaking development in the domestic beer business prior to craft beer, came into being on the strength of a breakthrough product- differentiation claim: "Great taste, less filling."
- Every single craft-beer brand (as well as craft beer as an overall concept) follows Trout's basic tenet: Differentiation is key to marketing success.
- Every single craft-beer brand (as well as craft beer as an overall concept) follows Trout's basic tenet: Differentiation is key to marketing success.
- BigBeer's bright-spot legacy brands at the moment-- Coors Banquet and Michelob Ultra-- both also stand out because their marketing relies on what makes them different and distinctive.
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News to the boss
With decades of proof of the real power of beer brands differentiated on the basis of "intrinsic qualities, ingredients and heritage," it's a little surprising that one of BigBeer's bigshots appears to have only now learned of it. He's out making impassioned speeches telling how differentiating in such a fashion is his latest big idea to restore light-beer momentum, and deal with the growth of the craft beers.
Real differentiation. Quite a flash of insight!
With decades of proof of the real power of beer brands differentiated on the basis of "intrinsic qualities, ingredients and heritage," it's a little surprising that one of BigBeer's bigshots appears to have only now learned of it. He's out making impassioned speeches telling how differentiating in such a fashion is his latest big idea to restore light-beer momentum, and deal with the growth of the craft beers.
Real differentiation. Quite a flash of insight!
The same trade press also just reported that every one of the seventeen brands showing the biggest declines in the beer business right now belongs to BigBeer.
Thank goodness Marketing 101 has finally taken hold.
Better late than never.
Thank goodness Marketing 101 has finally taken hold.
Better late than never.
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