When Beer Jumps on the Organic Bandwagon.

Michelob Ultra tries to appeal to the organic drinker.

The Michelob brand has struggled over the past several years. The Michelob regular and Michelob Light beers no longer appear on the Anheuser-Busch website along side Michelob Ultra which at 95 calories per 12 ounces seems to have saved the Michelob brand from total extinction. But with all the IP beers on the market the younger crowd is trending to these less traditional options. Organic beer is becoming a buzz in the industry so the BIG breweries like Anheuser-Busch are left trying to figure out how to compete.  

So, why not jump on the organic bandwagon?  It does take a lot of extra work to get the organic certification but if will put the brand back into the consumer mindset, then it’s worth the investment. The only question is, will the consumer take a big brand brewery seriously when they try to compete in a trendy market niche?  

Let’s look at the advertising “Beer In Its Organic Form”. The commercial has a granola feel to it, landscapes, water, sky, air – even the sound of breathing deeply.  Ahh, good clean air, right? And I’m sure research says that the outdoors is part the lifestyle of the target. But organic is about the ingredients, the other small breweries don’t have massive ad budgets yet people seek them out because of the ingredients and the taste.  Mich Ultra still uses the same ingredients, is brewed the same way and is always going to taste the same whether it’s organic or not. So to me it seems Mich Ultra going organic is just one more attempt to keep the brand alive and in some way relevant. I’m not sure it will increase market share or just make the existing customer base feel better about the product. Time and sales will tell – they always do. But for now, take a deep breath and enjoy your organic Michelob Ultra around a campfire – because, after all, that’s what organic is all about.