Budweiser and Euro 2004: With major UK rivals Carlsberg and Carling investing huge amounts into this summer’s festival of football, there has been speculation that the Anheuser-Busch brand might lag behind in summer sales. However, Randall Blackford, marketing director for Anheuser-Busch, speaking exclusively to The Publican, says Budweiser will not be left behind.
He said: “We are expecting incremental beer sales this year due to the Euro 2004 championship and the added excitement of the 2006 World Cup qualifying matches. “We will be using our extensive knowledge – gained from the World Cup in 2002 – and our sponsorships to makes sure that we maximise all sales opportunities during the tournament.”
Budweiser will use point-of-sale material, as well as promotions such as the “Virtual Shootout”, where pub-goers can play in their own penalty shootouts using a virtual reality headset.
Budweiser is also set to continue its sponsorship of the Glastonbury music festival and – due to popular demand – is also bringing back the “Crown” stage, which will play host to 15 DJs and music from two stalwarts of the Manchester music scene, Mani from The Stone Roses and Clint Boon from the Inspiral Carpets.
Mr Blackford is pleased with Budweiser’s continued involvement and rejects the idea that its sponsorship of the festival lies at odds with its image as an upmarket bar brand.
“Glastonbury remains an exceptionally popular music festival among our target audience of adult beer drinkers and, as such, we believe that it is a perfect event for us to sponsor,” he said. The brand also intends to continue its support of the creation of a greener and more environmentally friendly festival. It has provided funding for litter-picking staff and recycling on-site as well as funding for a large-scale on-site signage campaign to reduce pollution in the surrounding streams.
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