USA: An advertising battle in the USA beer market is brewing

USA’s beer maker, Miller Brewing Co., a subsidiary of SABMiller Plc, said on November 15 that several cable networks pulled new Miller ads on complaints by rival Anheuser-Busch Co. Inc., the largest U.S. brewer, according to Reuters news. "They (Anheuser-Busch) made calls to just about every cable network that they analyze their decision to run the Miller spots," Miller spokesman Peter Marino said.

The Miller spots, launched on November 11, claim that despite a change in Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light, Miller Lite still has more taste.

Anheuser-Busch said that it hasn't changed the formula for Bud Light, the top-selling light beer in the United States, but added that its brew masters constantly make small adjustments for seasonal changes in raw ingredients.

Several cable networks have temporarily placed the Miller spots on hold and asked the company to provide substantiation for the claim, Miller said, adding that it was providing the requested substantiation.

Anheuser-Busch responded to what it felt were negative ads by Miller, an Anheuser-Busch executive said. "We addressed this directly in a way that was most appropriate," Douglas Muhleman, group vice president at Anheuser-Busch, said in a faxed response. "We saw negative advertising that included our product, and we were in the best position to explain that to the networks that these claims are not true."

Miller and Anheuser-Busch have been engaged in a fierce advertising battle as Miller tries to wrest market share from the largest U.S. brewer amid sluggish beer sales in the United States as consumer tastes have shifted toward cocktails and wine.

While Miller Lite is the No. 3 brand in terms of sales in the United States, it is growing at a faster pace than Bud Light, according to data provided by Information Resources Inc. The ad war between the two beer companies is not new.

In the past, U.S. television networks have pulled some Miller Lite commercials that make fun of Bud Light after complaints from Anheuser-Busch. The networks have also refused to air some Anheuser-Busch commercials that spoof Miller campaigns.

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