There exists a huge dichotomy between marketing when it comes to Craft Brewers and Macro Brewers, as the product is so vastly different. For the most part, beer marketing for the craft brewer is mainly word of mouth. It is product focused. The craft brewer works not only to get his/her product in the hands of the community and let the reviews, hype, and expectation do the work. For this reason, community oriented social networking sites (Twitter/Facebook) are a God send.
Macro brewers, on the other hand, are less product oriented and more trend oriented. Instead of drumming up a reputation for the flavor of the beer, the macro brewer seems to drum a reputation for the brand of the beer. On Super Bowl Sunday do the Macro Beer commercials lure you with testimonials of great pilsner flavor, or funny cool singing frogs?
Thus said, I find myself enjoying beer marketing in a what-are-they-going-to-think-up-next sense. That is, how will these macros convince the next generation of college kids their beer is the cool beer. This is an important task, because for the most part, like Nascar fans, macro beer drinkers are loyal to their brand.
Which brings me Natural Light’s latest campaign.
Like every campaign in its class it is over the top. It is inundated with cool lingo and hip fonts. There are sexy people. There are cool college kids. And there is absolutely no mention of the flavor of Natural Light. Natural Light is making up or their obvious ommission with the creation of new beer terminology, that when effectively placed in an ad, communicates, “you better be drinking Natty Light, or you’re screwed.” What are these new words soon to be found in Webster’s? Nattyisms. The first Nattyism I first saw on a billboard down the street from my house and it read: “Natastrophe: Proper description of when you have run out of Natty Light at the party.”
It’s brilliant. It subtly states that a party just isn’t a party without their beer. It buys into the brand of American consumerism that preys upon individual insecurities and yearning for the “in crowd.” What better way to coax a clueless college kid to buy your beer?
Oh Rugged Individualism, where are you? Oh yeah…in the craft beer aisle.
Go ahead…mosey on over to the Natural Light website and indulge in pop marketing. You know you can’t wait to see what nattyisms Natural Light and their following (the site invites consumer intellect in the form of nattyism submissions) have cooked up.
What is your definition of a Natastrophe?
What are your thoughts on Macro Marketing?
[...] What is a Natastrophe? | Thank Heaven for Beer thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/11/23/what-is-a-natastrophe – view page – cached nstead of drumming up a reputation for the flavor of the beer, the macro brewer seems to drum a reputation for the brand of the beer. [...]
A Natastrophe is when you show up to the party WITH Natty Light.
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Oh… my…
I automatically associate Natty Light with WWE wrestling. Some of my old roommates would watch WWE (back then, WWF) and drink Natty Light. I was always invited, but I insisted on drinking something of higher quality. I eventually fell off the wrestling bandwagon, as the low brow entertainment really didn’t mesh well with my high brow beverage. Natty Light contributed to my nickname of Beer Snob, a moniker I accepted with pride.
What is your definition of a Natastrophe?
Believing that seltzer water with a hint of barley flavor constitutes beer.
What are your thoughts on Macro Marketing?
Tremendously low brow. I believe the folks at Stone touch on this topic. I endorse their sentiments.
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I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Natty Light. It was my utility beer in college, at least until Natty Ice came out (more ABV for the same price, clearly marketed to broke college kids). I know the beer is terrible, having tasted it frequently, even occasionally re-tasted it when I had too many, but I’d still take it over The Beast or Keystone. Actually if I had to pick from those three, I’d pick water.
What I think is interesting is that before the current economic slump, you would never see or hear Natty Light commercials. Now that AB’s core demographic (read: everybody) has less money in their pocket, they’re making sure they still get their share by promoting their value line.
I’ll stick to my craft beer, even if it makes me broke, and somehow keeps me from getting laid.
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@Mike: That was my first thought too!
@Big Tex: Seriously, i almost said the same thing (Believing that seltzer water with a hint of barley flavor constitutes beer) for a description of Natty Light. Great link…I don’t know how I never read that. I wonder if many folks really attribute their sex appeal to macro brew?
@howard: “I’ll stick to my craft beer, even if it makes me broke, and somehow keeps me from getting laid.” hahaha! I hear you on the soft spot…it reaffirms my belief that macro marketing is primarily targeting college kids.
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@ Nate: I believe the whole sex appeal thing is more of a subconscious thing than anything. Before I had reached beer enlightenment, I recall a discussion with one of my old high school buddies (during our early collegiate years) about the so-called merits of Bud Light vs. Coors Light at dorm/block parties. And this discussion did not so much revolve around taste as it did with coolness and babes. It wasn’t so much that Coors Light will “get me more chicks” or make me more appealing, but more like my chances of scoring have greatly increased because this party is offering Coors Light vs. Bud Light. I do recall another discussion where having Rolling Rock took you to a higher echelon.
Those days are behind me now, and you can see that I have transcended into geekdom.
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@Big Tex: haha that’s funny. I actually remember the “cool partyers” brought Rolling Rock. The painted on label instantly sophticated them. I wonder if we should do a crap beer tasting here on the site?
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No, we shouldn’t. I wouldn’t deign to purchase such filth.
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I thought a “Natastrophe” is when Nate overcooks a mash.
Seriously, I thought you were introducing a new series of posts where Nate points out what’s going wrong in the beer world.
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Jim..,seriously, that comment cracked me up. I think you are on to a great idea/theme to be implemented here on the site
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