Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove East’s Post

What can brands learn from VP Kamala Harris’s choice to drink Miller High Life? With the election approaching, VP Harris’s decision to drink Miller High Life on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert made headlines. More than just a fun moment, it was a smart move—Miller High Life is a beloved brand in Wisconsin, a critical swing state. It’s a powerful example of how knowing your audience’s preferences can shape perception. With Insights by Qloo, we analyzed popular beer brands in key swing states, using a range of data sources to get beyond traditional metrics like sales and social media. The findings highlight just how much these details can impact the way people view brands (or politicians). Explore the insights and read our CRO Jim Jansen’s thoughts on what this means for brands: https://lnkd.in/d7WgnkZp Molson Coors Beverage Company #AI #insights #MillerHighLife

Foregoing a Super Bowl commercial, Miller Lite is tasking 1,000 QR-code wearing fans to embark on beer runs on game day. Molson Coors Beverage Company brand Miller Lite is foregoing a Super Bowl game spot this year in favor of a “Running of the Beer Ads” program that tasks 1,000 football fans to serve as the brand’s official advertisement. Consumers can already sign-up online to receive a Miller Game Time Jersey emblazoned with a QR code that they can wear while stepping out during Super Bowl commercial breaks. Miller Lite’s decision to engage in unofficial advertising during #SuperBowlLVIII is a departure from last year’s strategy, which put a heavy emphasis on its on-air advertisement. This year, instead of the brand being on-screen, Miller Lite is looking to 1,000 of its fans to become brand advocates through the “Running of the Beer Ads” effort. competitor Anheuser-Busch AB InBev meanwhile has purchased 2 minutes and 30 seconds of national air time for its Bud Light, Budweiser and Michelob Ultra brands. #superbowl #advertising

Between the Usher concert, Taylor Swift sightings and that little game called football, our CPG brethren poppi stole the show with the #1 most-watched ad from Sunday, with approx 29.1M households tuning in. 🤯 The ad centered on bringing #sodasback, redefining the formerly dirty word of soda into something that means fun, flavor and benefits. But did you know that before this Poppi glow up the brand was actually known by another name and look? In December of 2016, Interact Brands had the privilege of being a judge at BevNet’s New Beverage Showdown, where Poppi, then known as Mother, pitched the audience on their sparkling apple cider vinegar drink in a glass bottle. We loved the taste and concept and voted them into the finals where they’d go on to win the New Beverage Showdown. With a validated product, the brand would eventually show up on Shark Tank, take an investment from former Vitamin Water exec and CPG investor Rohan Oza, and mostly importantly - go through a critical reposition, renaming and redesign that hinged on ditching their health-forward aesthetic for a bold, graphic and flavor-forward look accompanied by their new friendly and energetic name - Poppi! Just as a winning Super Bowl team has to have all the right players, so does a brand. From Poppi’s vision, leadership and timing their product, positioning and branding - everything is in sync and primed for a serious touchdown. #CPG #design #packaging #brandidentity #poppi #foodandbeverage

In 1999, Dr Pepper challenged the public to consider what on earth could possibly go wrong if they tried something a little different, with a campaign that perfectly demonstrated the second Principle of Unforgettable Brands…. Entertainment. Fast forward to 2024, and #DrPepper overtook #Pepsi to become the second largest soft drink in the US after consistent growth across 3 decades. I love three things about this… - It’s another example of the power of leaning into a perceived negative to turn the tables (how much less entertaining would it have been if it focussed on the potential positive of trying something different!?) - And, as Andrew Tindall pointed out earlier this week, it wasn’t a new idea, just another iteration of the ‘something different’ position the brand has held for over 100 years. - Finally, it uses schadenfreude, the beautiful art of finding pleasure in somebody else's misery - something the best comic writers do so well. The flip-side to this of course is the demise of Pepsi, which has declined more in the past 30 years than Dr Pepper has gained, a sad story for a brand that has, at times, been a pin-up case study for perfect positioning. #DrPepsi #Marketing #Advertising Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.

Ever heard of "Mother Beverage?" Hint: it was on Shark Tank ABC, and is widely known as something else now...... That's right, it's poppi! Marketing Geniuses. In 2018 they made an appearance on Shark Tank hoping to strike big. Turns out, they made a deal with the right Shark. Rohan Oza, founder of CAVU Consumer Partners, responsible for the success of Vitamin Water, Bai, and Vita Coco, partnered with the company for a 25% stake. However, "Mother Beverage" needed a rebrand. Something that could be trademarked. That's where "Poppi" came to life and the success shot out of a cannon exponentially. Being in only 200 stores previous to the rebrand in 2020, they now are in over 20,000 big name chains such as Target, Whole Foods, Publix, and Walmart. But wait it gets better... Now they are in Wholesale! Not to mention the success it's gaining on TikTok with influencers and celebrities. And I have to say, some of those flavors are wildly tasty - I'd be lying if I said I don't stock up when I go to Costco. Taking that old soda you find full of sugar and wrecking your gut, this prebiotic apple cider vinegar based, low sugar soda has taken over the hearts of millions. And to think, it started by a husband and a wife Stephen Ellsworth & Allison Ellsworth in Texas, taking their farmers market dream to a nationwide favorite. The future of soda is here they say, and oh boy is it coming to fruition. Now that's marketing. 📌 By the way, what's your favorite flavor? Tell me below 👇 The classic Cherry Limeade is the go to for me, but the Root Beer is a close second. #poppi #sodabutbetter #future #soda #marketing #digitalmarketing #trailblazer #sharktank #connect #health #healthy #connections #leadership #genius

This is the number one Super Bowl ad according to System 1. Everything in my bones tells me that it's not the best Super Bowl advert. When people look back on this Super Bowl I don't think they will say "It was the one with the Messi ad". It's the same with their joint highest rated UK Christmas ad. Everything in my bones tells me that it wasn't nearly the best Christmas advert this year. Here's a link. See what you think: https://lnkd.in/eMpeU9Qf That advert got the maximum possible score. It literally CANNOT be improved according to System1. 5.9 stars out of 5.9 stars. Surely people are just feeling good because it's got happy kids opening Christmas presents. Will people in the future ever remember that ad? Why is there such a big disconnect between me and System1? Am I wrong? As a creative, it's really hard to challenge data. It makes me look arrogant. Or naive. Or ignorant. I'm arguing against numbers using emotions. It's like turning up to a sword fight with a cucumber. Is there a solution? God knows. I'm not a numbers person. But there is something I have noticed: I believe System1 prioritises warm fuzzy feelings. It's why all their top adverts seem to have happy songs, smiling people, pets, kids, celebrities, puppets. It's also why it's so hard to try and get anything edgy, darker or funny through pre-testing. I believe that System1 link long term effectiveness to LIKABILITY because that's what their technology is best at capturing. I know they will have data to prove me wrong on that. I believe that MEMORABILITY is just as effective at brand building as likability. In fact there are some very successful brands whose advertising infuriates people. I don't have data for ANY of this. So I'm preparing to be shot down in flames. I'm not even sure why I'm being drawn into this. It's a Saturday. And I'm on LinkedIn arguing with a research company instead of walking my dog. OK. Thank you. Bye.

Did you know that the US pours a colossal 2.8 billion gallons of beer annually, with 68.37 liters splashing into each drinker's glass!! 👻 But amidst this frothy ocean, which brands rise to the top? In this study by Reputation House we dive deep into the social media currents, cracking open the secrets of the 14 most buzzed-about brews. At the end of 2023, YouGov made a list of top-loving beer brands in the United States. According to that study we had taken several top brands and checked in what way users write about them. 🍻 Bud Light had the biggest media presence in 2023 despite a reputational scandal earlier that year. While it was not the most popular beer brand, it became the most mentioned brand on the internet in a negative context. In the second place, by a wide margin (not counting Budweiser), was Yuengling, and regionally the west coast raised a glass to Guinness 😋 Reminder: Bud Light faced a boycott in April 2023 due to their collaboration with transgender actress and TikTok personality, Dylan Mulvaney 🚫 This quick sip into the digital beer fandom reveals: that popularity isn't just about volume! #beer #brewing #socialmedia #popularity #brands #scandal P.S. Brands that truly listen, adapt, and connect are the ones left standing when the head settles.

Michelob Ultra is sipping pretty while Bud Light falls Michelob Ultra and Bud Light are experiencing a Freaky Friday switch, but this one probably can’t be stopped with a magic fortune cookie. New consumer data shows that Bud Light has fallen to the third-best-selling beer in America, while Michelob Ultra has pushed ahead to take second place behind the top dog, Modelo. The shake-up comes after a crucial period for beverage brands—between Memorial Day and July Fourth—that cements industry winners and losers for the year. For the four-week period ending on July 6, Bud Light accounted for 6.5% of beer retail sales while Michelob Ultra took 7.3% and Modelo 9.7%, according to NielsenIQ data. That’s not necessarily bad news for Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, since it also brews Michelob and has upped the brand’s marketing spend. (In the US, Modelo belongs to rival Constellation Brands.) Imbibe vibes are changing: Modelo overtook Bud Light as the top-selling beer last year, following a boycott spurred by a collaboration with a transgender influencer. Now, Bud Light is also facing low-carb Michelob Ultra’s ascendance: With only 95 calories each, Ultras are surging among increasingly health-conscious drinkers. Except to see more of No. 2 soon…fresh off being the exclusive beer sponsor of Copa América, Michelob Ultra holds the same distinction for Team USA at the Olympics.—CC https://lnkd.in/eEJnr-Cd

As a Gen Z myself, I couldn’t help but dive into these impressive STARRY™ stats! 🌟 With 53% awareness among my fellow Gen Zers, it’s clear we’re all about the bold flavors and epic content. 🤳💬 Fun fact: according to Sensor Tower's Audience Insights data, in the last 90 days, 56% of people exposed to STARRY ads in the US were Gen Z, with a nearly even male-female split. Out of the Gen Z population as a whole, 22% of ad impressions are being served on YouTube. No surprise that Pathmatics (By Sensor Tower) shows STARRY ramping up YouTube spend over the summer! Curious to learn more about these insights? Feel free to message me for details! #GenZ #STARRY #AdTech #AudienceInsights #DigitalMarketing #SocialMedia #YouTube #DataDrivenMarketing #SensorTower"

Super Bowl ad time is in overdrive and this post from Andrew Tindall at System1 got me thinking. The Messi Michelob ad has been the highest scoring 2024 Super Bowl ad in System1 testing. Mr Tindall explains why below. However, like in football, the real life eye test tells me that, despite the stats, the ad is a bit flat. Not bad, not great just fine. Nothing we haven’t seen before. Now, this is 100% my subjective POV and I have a lot of respect for what the team at System1 are doing so I’m not discounting the validity of their findings, but in a world where Super Bowl spots are created to be shown live once, but designed to blow-up socials in an intense period of time is “fine”good enough? Does this kind of work need more creativity and impact to cut through or have System1 cracked the code and its simpler more familiar ideas which make this type of work pop? Let me know your thoughts.