In celebration of the Super Bowl and the ads, this post examines Bud Light Platinum from a product perspective. I haven't tried the beer and this isn't intended to be a review of the beer.
For those of you who didn't watch the Super Bowl (or did and still don't know what Bud Light Platinum is) here is a quick summary: Bud Light Platinum is a new beer product from Anhueser Busch InBev that provides greater alcohol content (6%) while keeping the "light" label by having a low number of calories (137) and a slightly sweeter taste.
Lets look a this new beverage from a product perspective:
The user/drinker: It is very unlikely that "beer geeks" who traditionally drink higher alcohol content or craft beers will make the switch. Traditional Bud Light drinkers may switch to get "more bang for their buck" in terms of alcohol content but this would seem to cannibalize the Bud Light product somewhat and the sweeter taste may turn them right back to Bud Light. Industry analyst David Williams says:"Bud Light with 6 percent alcohol by volume and a sweet taste is an oxymoron in my mind...It's not drinkable." In addition, the higher price tag (~$1.50 more per six pack) may not sit well with at-home beer drinkers. I think the real target here is light and non-light beer drinkers from other brands like MillerCoors who are looking for a cooler beer to drink at a bar or nightclub.
Product features: We'll look at 3 product features and how they relate to the target drinker.
1. Higher alcohol content: this one is a no-brainer. If you can get a beer that tastes close to what you are used to drinking with more alcohol, then why not. Bar and nightclub goers are looking to get a little buzz and this beer can probably do the trick and the higher alcohol content may add to the cool factor.
2. Lower calories: I'm not sure this matters a whole lot as far as the coolness factor goes, but it may allow the user to drink Bud Light Platinum guilt free.
3. The packaging: the blue bottle definitely looks different and draws attention to the beer over traditional bottled beer. This packaging may add to the coolness factor of the beer and allow the drinker to stand out while hanging out.
The market: While the beer market is quite large, it is also quite crowded. It doesn't seem that introducing a variation of Bud Light will make a huge impact overall. Bud Light Platinum may offer beer drinkers a different choice for bottled beer at a bar or nightclub, but draft or liquor drinkers most likely wont make the switch. However, if Anhueser Busch InBev can put even a small dent in MillerCoors' market share, that may be enough to make the product successful.
The verdict is still out on whether Bud Light Platinum will be a huge success or the next Crystal Pepsi. Will you be trying Bud Light Platinum?
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