MarketingWeek; By Niamh Carroll
As category leader, AB InBev believes it has a responsibility to grow beer as a whole, and is using a major partnership between the Olympics and non-alcoholic product Corona Cero to do this.
Corona Cero’s sponsorship of the Olympics has the potential to “strengthen beer as a category”, according to AB InBev’s CMO, Marcel Marcondes.
This afternoon (12 January), AB InBev revealed it is the first beer brand to become a top-tier global Olympic sponsor, in a partnership that will be led by its non-alcoholic brand Corona Cero.
Speaking to Marketing Week at an event to launch the partnership, Marcondes said the partnership has the potential to grow the beer category as a whole and position it as a drink of moderation, referencing its low ABV versus wine and spirits. “This strengthens beer as a category, and as a category of moderation,” he asserted. Original message
A quote from Alex Barker, psychologist at the University of Derby, who has done a lot of research into alcohol marketing in sport: it’s an alibi brand, that’s what he calls the alcohol-free variants. “By promoting these, the beer brands simply strengthen the bond with the customer. They often have the same colors and the same logo. This way, the alcohol-free products have the same brand image as the brands with alcohol.” In France, where the Olympic Games will take place this summer, advertising for alcohol is prohibited, but advertising for alcohol-free products is allowed. This is different in Norway, for example, where advertising for the 0 percent variant has been prohibited for a long time.
Source: www.stap.nl