Did you miss the news about the lawsuit against Anheuser-Bush that claims the beer giant is watering its brews? I did. That is, until I saw the full-page ad in Sunday’s New York Times. It shows how advertising can turn a small problem into a bigger one.
When plaintiff attorneys sued Anheuser-Busch in four states late last month, it prompted low-key, factual coverage in Bloomberg and a handful of other media outlets. The story lasted barely a day and didn’t break into the ranks of leading news stories at a time when Washington’s budget impasse, the Italian election and this year’s Oscar winners were dominating the news.
Lawsuits like this are thrown at big corporations all the time. Here, the plaintiffs’ case looks especially weak. It’s based on vague claims from a handful of former employees. It fails to cite any independent testing to support claims of watery beer, and there are no complaints from consumers. It’s no wonder the suit brought little press attention.
But the news coverage must have made an impression on executives at AB InBev, who summoned its ad agency to respond. And it did, with full-page ads in 10 major markets. As a result, the issue of watered beer has really made news, with stories about AB’s defense appearing on high-readership sites like the Huffigton Post.
Is this really what AB wanted?
The ads make consumers aware of something they probably hadn’t heard about before. They also sustain an issue that had pretty much run its course. What’s more, AB’s campaign doesn’t provide proof of the alcohol content in their beers, it merely asserts that “the beer in your hand is the best we know how to brew.”
So why did AB feel the need to respond in such a big way to a small annoyance? For one thing, it probably takes any allegation against the quality of its product very seriously. It might also want to send a signal to other attorneys that it will defend itself against such claims. (Both goals probably could have been better accomplished with a stronger press statement.)
The other factor at work could be AB’s plan to buy Groupo Modelo, which has run into opposition from the US Department of Justice. The dispute puts AB in a spotlight, where it is more sensitive to criticism (a fact exploited by the plaintiffs).
Showing restraint can be the most difficult thing for a big brand to do when it has been attacked.
Whatever the reason for AB’s assertive posture, it’s clear that its ad campaign will have beer drinkers talking about this for some time to come, no matter how the lawsuits turn out.