ProBrewer

An Online Resource Serving The Beer Industry

  • News & Articles
    • Featured Expert Topic: Customer Experience
    • Beverage Industry News
      • Business of Beer
      • Commentary
      • Crisis Response
      • Distribution & Retail
      • International
      • Legislative & Regulatory
      • Major Brand News
      • News From The Breweries
      • Packaging, Bottling, and Kegging
      • ProBrewer News
      • Quarterly Financial Reports
      • Specialty Industry News
    • Expert Topic
      • Craft Brewers Conference 2022
    • Front of House
      • Customer Experience
      • Dispensing
      • Kitchen and Food
      • Serving
    • Operations
      • Brewing Education
      • Human Resources
        • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Professional Services
        • Finance
        • Legal
        • Marketing
      • Shipping
    • Packaging
      • Bottles
      • Cans
      • Distribution
      • Kegs
    • Production
      • Beverage Conditioning
      • Beverage Ingredients
        • Hops
        • Malt
        • Other Ingredients
        • Water
        • Yeast
      • Brewery Equipment
        • Brewing Systems
        • Filtration
        • Keg Washers
        • Malt Handling
        • Nano Brewing
        • Pumps
        • Refrigeration
        • Tanks
      • Brewery Floors
        • DIY Brewery Floor
      • Distilling
      • Filtering
      • Quality Control
      • Stupid Stuff
    • Real Estate
      • Planning
    • Sponsored
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Essential Virtual Resources for the Brewing Industry
    • Virtual Brewing Conference Guide
  • Classified Ads
    • Latest Ads
    • Ads By Category
    • Help Wanted / For Hire
    • Search Ads
    • Post Classified Ad
    • Post Catalog Ad
    • About Classified Ads
  • Jobs
  • Discussion
  • Tools
    • IBU Calculator
    • Beer Specifications
    • Water Chemistry
  • Advertise
    • Advertise & Sponsorship on ProBrewer
    • ProBrewer Advertisers
  • Allied Trade Directory
    • Search Allied Trade Directory
    • Your Companies
    • Submit New Allied Trade Company
  • Login / Register
    • ProBrewer Login
    • Register
    • Password Reset
» Beverage Industry News » Major Brand News » Miller Lite ‘Craft?’

Miller Lite ‘Craft?’

Beverage Industry News» Major Brand Newsposted Dec 14th, 2007 by pbrewadmin

Bold move by Miller to use core brand in line extension

Miller Brewing Co. has announced that it will test market in February the Miller Lite Brewers Collection, three craft style beers that are lower in calories and carbohydrates than other craft beers.

The styles will be a Blonde Ale, Amber and Wheat, each with “significantly fewer calories and carbs than a typical beer for that style,” according to Miller.

The labels will be an upscale look of blue and gold foil and include the Miller Lite logo.

“Miller is seeking to again establish a whole new category for the beer industry – craft-style-light,” said Miller chief marketing officer Randy Ransom. “The brewer who can provide a more refreshing and drinkable craft style can stake out a whole new niche in the market. That’s what we intend to do.”

Miller Lite Brewers Collection is targeted to mainstream drinkers and capitalizes on three trends that are driving much of the growth in the U.S. beer industry, including the shift toward light beer, a desire for more variety and “premiumization,” according to Miller.

Miller Lite Brewers Collection will initially be available in six-pack bottles and priced between mainstream light beer and the typical craft beer.

With the new product introduction, Miller is continuing with a strategy of shifting more of its business to higher-end products by “delivering innovative products to market like Miller Chill, Leinenkugel’s and Sparks,” Ransom said.

The test markets will include Minneapolis; Charlotte, N.C.; San Diego, Calif.; and Baltimore.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Pocket
  • Email
pbrewadmin

Posted by pbrewadmin

Comments

  1. einhorn says

    December 14, 2007 at 7:20 pm

    Still lots of folks out there happy to have A-B (Michelob thread) & SABMiller “premiumizing” their brands by calling them craft beers???

    You should be pissed as hell. Your image and necessary high pricing, their quantities.

  2. jarviw says

    December 14, 2007 at 9:30 pm

    well… they really want to have a slice of the pie… but I doubt these pseudo-craft beers are going to make the cut.

    that would be much smarter of them to heavily invest into the individual craft brewers instead of spending more marketing money on pushing new brands. but of course, that’s just stupid me thinking… mega brewer hiring all that MBAs must be smarter.

  3. Jephro says

    December 14, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    Let’s just hope they inadvertently create some new customers for us. :p

  4. bbrodka says

    December 15, 2007 at 1:50 am

    less malt and alcohol content = “fewer calories and carbs” :p

    But your right they may serve a a stepping stone for those who have not discovered real craft beer yet

  5. einhorn says

    December 15, 2007 at 6:52 am

    I too do not see these brands being successful. Too much of doing the “marketing splits” – light vs. craft, local market vs. national distribution, TV & print awareness vs. mouth-to-mouth.

    When the 95% market share holders want a piece of the 3,5% market, that seldom makes (marketing) sense. The word “premiumizing” is really very accurate. Maybe some of you are right: they are increasing the awareness for craft beers in general, maybe getting to the folks who are walking on the fence. In the long run, it could backfire.

    The attempt still cooks my blood.

  6. Straub says

    December 15, 2007 at 4:56 pm

    The good news is that this is still a capitalistic economy. If the customers like it and find it worth their money, they’ll buy it. If not it will fail. I would put my money on the latter from past experience.

    I respect their attempts to bring a new category to market but I doubt they’ll have the sales to make it economical on their scale. Surely they’d make a big malty hoppy beer (and with their brewmasters, it would be excellent) if they could sell 500,000 BBLs/yr of any given brand. But the fact is, the folks who enjoy that type of beer are in quite the minority. So I wouldn’t feel threatened. The vast majority of any new customers they draw will be Miller Lite drinkers hoping to fit in with the rest of their beer aficiondo friends rather than craft drinkers looking for a low cal beer.

    After all, isn’t imitation the highest form of flattery?? I would be very flattered that multi-billion dollar companies can’t seem to do what you do everyday… earn the respect, loyalty, and patrionage of the most educated beer drinkers in the country.

  7. scott isham says

    December 15, 2007 at 11:22 pm

    I think it’s important to remember, most of the people who now buy A-B and SAB-Miller buy for what’s on the outside and not what’s on the inside. I think if they market it enough(pound it in your head), people will buy it.

  8. frigatebay says

    December 16, 2007 at 1:36 am

    having done business with a miller house recently they have really pushed this idea and other ideas the ultimately are bad for craft beer on thier wholesalers at every annual, quarterly and any meeting the have with them. effectively trying to push small businesses out of the picture.

  9. bigthorn says

    December 16, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    frigatebay, I’m interested in what you have to say…but I can’t understand it. Can you edit your comments for clarity?

  10. 3DogsBarking says

    December 17, 2007 at 6:43 am

    I got ya’ about your comment; placing intentional strain on the distribution channels even more, and taking a little of our shelf space. And while a noble approach from the view of the big brewers, this move really does nothing but help the overall position of craft beer in general unless their beer is really bad. Certain target markets are very hard to win over without shoving free samples in their faces. The target market that buys Miller because of brand preference would be much more likely to try a Miller branded craft beer than a micro-branded comparable beer. Acceptance of Miller craft beer would increase the willingness of a consumer to try a real craft beer with a similar name, and in theory can help bring craft beer to geographic areas yet exposed to such a wonderful thing.

    Affluency in tastes is increasing. I highly doubt this trend will be reversed.

    And with respect to Miller’s marketing department, I think they are a bit confused and desperate.

Search

Promoted
Stout Tanks and Kettles, LLC logo
Stout Tanks and Kettles, LLC
The Craft Brewery Experts
Jenrey Ltd logo
Jenrey Ltd
Smallest Footprint Craft Can Pasteurizers in the Industry!
Propagate Lab logo
Propagate Lab
Yeast & Bacteria for Beverages Beer - Seltzer - Wine - Sake - Spirits
G4 Kegs • FoodSafe Drains / Slot Drain Systems

Subscribe to ProBrewer Daily

ProBrewer Subscriptions

View previous newsletters.

Connect With @ProBrewerPage

 Instagram    Facebook    Twitter

 

 

 

Join the ProBrewer mailing list

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy

Connect With @ProBrewerPage

 Instagram    Facebook    Twitter

Go Somewhere Else

News • Classifieds • Help Wanted / For Hire • Discussion • Library • Contact • Advertise • Contact Details • Help

Copyright © 2022 · RealBeer Media · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.