Big Beer is getting creative.
It has to be: the competition is fierce. As craft brewers continue to eat into its sales, not to mention signs that millennials are moving away from beer entirely, it’s increasingly difficult for Molson-Coors and Anheuser-Busch to convince consumers to buy their products at the grocery store or local bar.
To combat the problem, Anheuser-Busch and Molson-Coors have both gone on acquisition sprees, snapping up smaller breweries.
Coors seems to think it has discovered another way to get consumers guzzling more of its products: a loyalty program. The company launched Coors Light XP on Tuesday, a new feature and app that allows customers to collect experience points every time they purchase a 12 or 15-pack of Coors Light. The points can then be redeemed for prizes, such as limited-edition Coors Light gear or sideline tickets to a popular football game.
In addition to prizes, members get the distinction of receiving “VIP” and “Elite” member status if they collect enough points, which can also be earned by doing Coors Light trivia on your phone while drinking at a participating bar or completing challenges like connecting your Instagram account to the app or taking a responsibility pledge.
For some perspective, a trivia session will earn you between five to 10 points, while buying a case of beer will earn you 100 points. Prizes currently range from 450 points (for an aluminum cup) to 8,500 (for a fridge in the shape of the iconic Coors Light mountain).
If you want to get to that fridge — or Bruins tickets with sideline access (which require 2,400 points) — you’re going to have to drink a lot of Coors Light this summer. Bottoms up.
