Beer companies are gearing up to win back women drinkers—a demographic that marketers say is key to winning back market share from liquor and wine.
Women’s beer consumption is currently only about one-quarter of U.S. sales, thanks in part to the industry’s habit of airing ads that objectify women. But MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV executives tell Bloomberg that those days are over: “We’re going through a feminization of culture,” Britt Dougherty, senior marketing insights director for MillerCoors said.
In order to win over women, the beer companies are designing more colorful packaging and creating sweeter drinks, like the Bud Lite Lime-A-Rita. But taste isn’t necessarily the problem—MillerCoors and AB InBev are focusing on the social aspect of beer, too. AB InBev’s Super Bowl ad campaign this year will show people coming together to talk about issues like equal pay around Bud Light beer, according to Bloomberg.