Beer is sold through a distribution channel. Often times, beer marketers even call the distributor “the customer,” since the distributor has to be sold first, before the end user.
According to Adweek, Budweiser is placing increased empahasis on their distribution channel.
Anheuser-Busch is about to debut folksy TV ads in its bid to be more local by loosening compliance standards for its wholesaler network, giving distributors more flexibility to be entrepreneurs.
A-B executives had said during past wholesaler gatherings that distributors needed to adopt an incremental growth perspective with new products rather than always looking for the big market share home run. The brewer also encouraged wholesalers to lead more grassroots initiatives.
Chairman August Busch III reiterated the street marketing push during a recent conference in Orlando, Fla., and assured distributors that they would be less encumbered by equity contract reporting exercises so they can spend more time selling beer.
“[A-B executives] are saying we have to be open and flexible for whatever comes down the pike because the marketing of the future will be niche marketing,” said a Southern wholesaler.
