If you look back at Big Beer's new product launches-- many shown here-- you may notice most have something in common. I mean, besides being unable to generate long-term consumer demand.
Oddly, in spite of their shared fate as underwhelming sales producers, if not outright bombs, they all enjoyed the rosy glow of early press hailing in-market surprises of "unexpected volume," "well above-plan results," and "quick distribution builds." In the end, however, the rosier the early press reports, the more likely they masked-- perhaps intentionally-- the beginning of the brand's demise.
Oddly, in spite of their shared fate as underwhelming sales producers, if not outright bombs, they all enjoyed the rosy glow of early press hailing in-market surprises of "unexpected volume," "well above-plan results," and "quick distribution builds." In the end, however, the rosier the early press reports, the more likely they masked-- perhaps intentionally-- the beginning of the brand's demise.
| May 7, 2014 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article "(The MillerCoors CEO) credits the success of Miller Fortune to its marketing campaigns and getting the product to market quickly with the fastest distribution in MillerCoors’ history.” This strategy paid off as Miller Fortune gained 30 basis points share of total industry volume in March, according to Nielsen." The temptation to declare victory well before the key in-market battles are fought is apparently irresistible to the captains of beer. Indeed, this over-bubbly, way-too-early optimism is why we can confidently display the Miller Fortune bottle pointing in the direction we predict sales will soon head, if they aren't already. |  |
Miller Fortune trumpets "fastest distribution in MillerCoors history"... all six years of that history. What's more, distribution-build is a measure of wholesaler execution, not an accurate predictor of brand success. The "30 basis points of total industry volume" (which sounds so much better than a .003 share) and other such early measures of consumer buying, reflect mostly trial purchases at a time when the new brand has every possible trial-generation device working for it.
Another popular press-release gush is "exceeding all our expectations." In the spirit of double-speak skepticism, this might best be interpreted: "We worried this was a loser from the start, but a few folks are actually buying it."
When it comes to reliable fortune-telling, there are better indications of where a new product is headed. Sometimes, what isn't said is telling. For example, the MillerCoors CEO professed his pride in the brand's marketing programs, but chose to omit mention of firing Miller Fortune's ad agency. What does it say to spend months or years preparing advertising to launch a new brand, only to jettison the agency-- and presumably, the ads and all the thinking behind them-- when the brand is just a few months old?
Not that someone shouldn't have paid for approving this work. Maybe the same guy who thought "un-distilled" somehow differentiated a beer.
Another popular press-release gush is "exceeding all our expectations." In the spirit of double-speak skepticism, this might best be interpreted: "We worried this was a loser from the start, but a few folks are actually buying it."
When it comes to reliable fortune-telling, there are better indications of where a new product is headed. Sometimes, what isn't said is telling. For example, the MillerCoors CEO professed his pride in the brand's marketing programs, but chose to omit mention of firing Miller Fortune's ad agency. What does it say to spend months or years preparing advertising to launch a new brand, only to jettison the agency-- and presumably, the ads and all the thinking behind them-- when the brand is just a few months old?
Not that someone shouldn't have paid for approving this work. Maybe the same guy who thought "un-distilled" somehow differentiated a beer.
And look, here he is! At the very beginning, before it was even available in the market, this "innovation" guy, responsible for creating the brand, elbowed himself into the publicity limelight. Maybe because his background was in vacuum cleaners, he wanted to flex his beer cred. Regardless, here's a press-release photo of him basking in the halcyon glow of the Miller Fortune launch announcement. Lately, he's been much less visible.
As a new brand's fortunes in the market dim to a point the PR folks can no longer re-make reality, three things inevitably happen:
People shy away from identifying their careers with these brands.
Photos like these vanish from press releases...
... and then the press releases themselves vanish.
Altogether, a pretty good fortune-teller's crystal ball.
People shy away from identifying their careers with these brands.
Photos like these vanish from press releases...
... and then the press releases themselves vanish.
Altogether, a pretty good fortune-teller's crystal ball.
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