IMC proposal for Cobra beer In London

2013

The global beer industry has transformed dramatically in recent decades. Two key trends include 1) consolidation resulting from mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, and 2) the largest firms expanding into new regions. While beer was previously a very local product, these trends have combined to result in approximately half of global sales being controlled by just four firms: AB InBev, SABMiller, Heineken, and Carlsberg. Notably, these top four com-panies are all headquartered in Western Europe. The primary products of the largest firms are pale lagers, with ales and numerous other potential beer varieties produced only in much smaller quantities, if at all. Why are these chang-es occurring now? Many other industries, including soft drinks, have seen a small number of companies achieve global dominance earlier than the beer industry. Recent policy and technological changes, however, have eroded many barriers to consolidation and geographic expansion for beer firms. They have enabled the largest firms to exert more political and economic power, and to move closer to the endgame of a global monopoly. These trends are not inevitable, however, and are countered by 1) the rise of specialty brewers and their much more diverse selection of beer varieties, and 2) cultural barriers to the global branding and marketing of beer.

This paper seeks to analyse Foster’s Lager advertising since the early 1980s. In particular, it aims to focus on the Foster’s Lager 'I Believe' integrated marketing communications (IMC) campaign launched in 2000 and the use of 'commercial nationalism'. A close textual analysis consisting of semiotics, shot combination analysis, and content analysis is incorporated into the discussion of the Foster’s Lager advertisements examined. These methodologies are helpful for deconstructing mediated representations of this iconic beer brand. Nationalism and humour have both played an important part in Foster’s Lager advertising campaigns. However, campaigns in more recent times have become more sophisticated and ironic. In examining a number of significant advertising campaigns for Australia’s flagship beer, the transition from national to global beer brand can be documented. Since 1888, the brand name Foster’s has evolved from being just one of a number of beer brands in Australia to the international flagship product of the global beverage giant, and fourth largest brewing company in the world, Foster’s Group Limited. The Foster’s Lager 'I Believe' campaign was an excellent example of the witty use of nationalism and patriotism to communicate a message. Examining how the Foster’s Lager brand evolved into a global brand provides lessons for marketers and educators, particularly in the effective use of commercial nationalism. The paper demonstrates a detailed analysis of the successful use of commercial nationalism.

Samsung Electronics entered the mobile device market on the back of their successes in other markets for electronic devices. The mobile device space in South Africa was dominated by Nokia and Blackberry and in a short space of time Samsung stormed into a tie for the top spot alongside Blackberry with a market share of 23%. In 2013 Samsung’s market share dropped 5%, moving down to 18%, placing them second to Blackberry as they entered 2014. Samsung’s IMC strategy for their mobile devices has been consistent and well-thought throughout the years. The influence of WOM suggests a greater need for Samsung to determine the effectiveness of WOM as part of their IMC strategy for mobile devices in South Africa. It is important for Samsung to understand how WOM shapes South African consumer purchasing decisions, what causes WOM, and what types of marketing are available to drive WOM for their mobile devices in South Africa. This study therefore attempts to investigate WOM as advertising tool in an IMC campaign, with a focus on Samsung and the South African market for mobile devices. The research indicates that 94% of South African consumers trust WOM from family and friends more than any other form of advertising. This statistic clearly indicates that South African consumers trust WOM from family and friends more than any other form of advertising. It can be deduced that if 87% of consumers actively seek WOM when purchasing a mobile device, and 94% of consumers trust WOM, then WOM is indeed powerful. In conclusion, it is clear that for Samsung, WOM is effective as part of an IMC strategy for its mobile devices in South Africa.

(1) Background: Big brewers, which have experienced declining sales for their beer brands in the last decade, have been accused of " craftwashing " by some craft brewers and their aficionados—they define craftwashing as big brewers (>6 million barrels per year) taking advantage of the increasing sales of craft beer by emulating these products or by acquiring craft breweries, while also obscuring their ownership from consumers; (2) Methods: To estimate the prevalence of these practices, the ownership of U.S. mainstream and craft beer brands was decoded and visualized. In addition, an exploratory case study analyzed how these ownership relations are represented in the craft sections of selected retailers (n = 16) in the Lansing, Michigan metropolitan area; (3) Results: By October 2017 in the U.S., all but one big brewer had either acquired a craft brewery, or formed a distribution alliance with one—without disclosing these relationships on the packaging. In the study area, 30% of 4-and 6-pack facings recorded in craft beer sections (n = 1145) had ownership ties to big brewers; (4) Conclusions: Craftwashing is common in the U.S. beer industry, and this suggests consumers must exert substantial effort to become aware of their own role in reinforcing these practices.