Beer Industry
ST. LOUIS (April 5, 2004) - Budweiser and Bud Light have designated April as “Freshness Month” and select days in 2004 as “Freshness Days,” offering millions of adult beer drinkers throughout the United States an opportunity to taste Budweiser and Bud Light the same day they are packaged. Select wholesalers and retailers across the country are offering Budweiser and Bud Light longnecks and draught packaged and served bearing the same “Born On” date, allowing consumers to try the freshest beer available. During “Freshness Month” and on “Freshness Days,” Budweiser and Bud Light trucks will pick up beer packaged that morning at local Anheuser-Busch breweries and deliver it to area wholesalers. Wholesaler representatives will then deliver it to select retail accounts for sale to consumers those evenings. While day-fresh beer is packaged, shipped, delivered and served within 18-20 hours, it takes approximately 30 days to brew Budweiser and Bud Light. “At Anheuser-Busch, we’ve always strived to bring adult beer drinkers the freshest beer possible,” said Bob Lachky, vice president of Brand Management & director of Global Brand Creative, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “In April and on select days throughout the year, we want our consumers around the country to have an opportunity to try Budweiser and Bud Light straight from local Anheuser-Busch breweries and taste for themselves the importance of freshness to beer. The fact is, fresh beer tastes better.” Anheuser-Busch Tour Centers will offer day-fresh draught Budweiser and Bud Light on select Fridays and Saturdays in April - giving tour guests the opportunity to try Budweiser and Bud Light “born” the same day at the brewery. Tours are conducted at Anheuser-Busch breweries located in: St. Louis; Merrimack, N.H.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Ft. Collins, Colo.; and Fairfield, Calif. The B Lounge, a Budweiser-sponsored motorcoach with seating for nearly 20 people in a high-quality classroom setting, will support the freshness initiatives with special Anheuser-Busch brewmaster media tours to several southeastern U.S. cities in April including: Orlando, Fla.; Miami; Charlotte, N.C.; and Atlanta. The mobile unit typically provides retailer and wholesaler training on topics such as freshness, quality, beer storage and proper serving techniques. Budweiser and Bud Light support the freshness program with a full line of point-of-sale (POS) materials, including banners and table tents, featuring Budweiser’s “Think Fresh, Drink Fresh” and Bud Light’s “Fresh. Smooth. Real. It’s All Here.” taglines. Additionally, current television advertising campaigns emphasize fresh thinking, fresh ideas and fresh beer. The average retail age of Budweiser and Bud Light is 35 days, meaning a typical Budweiser or Bud Light bottle or can is 35 days old when purchased by a consumer from a retailer. In comparison, other domestic premium brands are significantly older in terms of average retail age, while leading imports are more than twice as old. (Source: Audits & Surveys - N.Y.) Anheuser-Busch has always used a packaging date for its products and introduced the consumer-friendly “Born On” date coding on September 2, 1996. The company’s 12 U.S.-based breweries and network of approximately 600 independent wholesalers reduce delivery time and ensure that fresh beer is in retail accounts shortly after packaging. As it reads on every beer package, Budweiser and Bud Light are at their peak of freshness and taste within 110 days from their “Born On” date. Budweiser and Bud Light are brewed by Anheuser-Busch Inc., the leading U.S. brewer that holds a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. In a survey of 10,000 business leaders and securities analysts, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. ranked first overall in quality of products and services among nearly 600 companies researched in FORTUNE magazine’s 2004 “America’s Most Admired Companies” listing. The company also is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world’s largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com, www.budweiser.com, www.budlight.com # # #
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