"brand" news and stories

Don't get too excited from the headline.

Bars and restaurants in California aren't going to be giving away all their beer, but this year, for the first time, they will be permitted to give out free samples of beer, much in the same way that free samples of wine and spirits are sometimes given out to promote new brands or new products from those industries.

Previously, beer companies could only offer tastings at their own plants or breweries, but the new law allows for up to 8-ounces per person per day, to be given away promotionally, provided that it is served in a glass at an establishment that already serves beer or spirits. The tastings can last no more than one hour and can only feature one type of beer, which effectively prevents consumers from having more than those 8-oz (without paying for more, anyway). St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch was the driving force behind the new law, pushing the issue on the grounds that existing law excluded a major portion of the beverage industry. They plan to offer tastings of some of their seasonal products in the future.

The primary objectors to the legislation were the religious groups behind the California Council on Alcohol Problems, which basically tried to say that all beer tasted the same (unlike wine, in their opinions) and that this would cause drinking problems. Clearly, legislators did not agree with their thinking and neither would any of the many beer lovers out there, all of whom can attest to the fact that beer does vary from brand to brand and even batch to batch.

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One might expect price or taste to be the primary considerations when purchasing any food items, including beer and wine, but consumer research in the UK has shown that neither characteristic is more important to shoppers than brand is. 62% of men rate the brand of their beer as the most important consideration when purchasing it. Only 20% of men feel that price is the most important factor (30% of women rate price as a primary concern). It seems that label recognition is just as important when it comes to beer as when it comes to buying designer clothes.

To counteract this, more stores and bottle shops have been using special pricing to try to get consumers to buy certain brands. 33% of shoppers say that "they would be encouraged to go for a good 'offer' on a brand of beer that was not their first choice," almost double the percentage from last year. As a result, beer is sold in increasingly larger packaging, and although the bottles are smaller, to give the impression of value. The same applies to wine, where consumers look for promotions and money-off deals when making their purchases.

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We're not planning to have an ice cream theme day, not until it gets a little closer to summer and warmer weather, but the fact that it's cold out doesn't mean that we're not going to get an ice cream fix between now and then. And Turkey Hill's Ice Cream Journal might just be the way to do that without giving us brain-freeze. The all-ice cream blog is the first one that I've seen out there and although there are a number of other food-specific blogs, I'm not sure that I could have guessed that there was so much to say about ice cream. Only a few posts are up on the brand new blog, but their post about spotting a happy face in the top of the ice cream container is pretty interesting (and it's only a matter of time before someone finds some sort of religious icon). Drop in a leave a comment for them, since they're giving away a prize each month to a random commenter. It sounds like bribery, but as long as ice cream is involved, we're willing to look the other way.

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When a well-established brand looks to reinvent themselves to appeal to a new group of consumers, usually a younger and hipper group, they automatically go for something a little offbeat. Class is not usually a consideration in this type of marketing strategy, which makes it seem like an odd choice for the new campaign for Perrier, a sparkling water that has long been associated with good taste.

In an effort to bring in younger drinkers, Perrier is trying to make its water "sexier", "flirtier", "riskier", "sassier", etc. than before. Bottles of the water will be accompanied by contortionists ("crazier") in LA nightclubs and beach umbrellas ("sunnier") in Miami. They are hoping that their $10 million marketing campaign will turn the water into a trend again.

The problem with such a campaign is that it risks the brand's long-term identity in favor of some short-term effervescence. Even if the campaign works and the water becomes a trendy item, it is only a matter of time before the trend fades out, which could leave the brand a little flatter than before.

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Lyle's Golden Syrup, manufactured by the British sugar company Tate & Lyle, has just been honored by the Guinness Book of World Records with the title of world's oldest brand. The sweet syrup is a byproduct of sugar refining and was first put into the distinctive green and gold tin in 1885. The packaging and the syrup have remained almost completely unchanged since that time. The product is found in more than 85% of British households and is popular in countries all over the world.

In the US, the syrup is found at some specialty stores, but is not terribly easy to come by. It has the consistency of corn syrup, but a much more unique flavor that carries over into whatever it is used to sweeten. There are any number of recipes that the syrup can be used in, but treacle tart and ANZAC biscuits are two that are well loved world wide.

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