With Black Crown, Budweiser Aims to Refresh the Brand

In the four years since the $52 billion transatlantic merger that created Anheuser-Busch InBev, most of the Leuven (Belgium)-based brewer’s efforts have been focused on selling assets, cutting costs, and paying down debt. Lately the world’s largest brewmeister is turning its attention to something its customers can relate to—the beer itself. In 2012, AB InBev sparked growth with new beers, including Bud Light Platinum, an upscale cousin that costs 35 percent more than America’s No. 1 beer, and the Mexican-inspired Bud Light Lime-A-Rita. Next on tap: On Jan. 21, Budweiser will introduce U.S. drinkers to Black Crown, a new take on the iconic Bud, America’s most popular regular brew. “When we bought AB, our focus was much more on deleveraging,” says AB InBev Chief Marketing Officer Miguel Patricio. “This is behind us. Now we’re focusing on what we’ve been seeding” in new products.

Black Crown, with more alcohol and a stronger hops taste than classic Bud, is the latest example of the brewer’s push to reinvigorate its core brands. The drink, chosen from among 12 experimental varieties submitted by head beermakers at each of Budweiser’s U.S. breweries and made from the original Bud yeast, prevailed in taste tests of 25,000 consumers last year. Attention-grabbing drinks are becoming more important for brewers facing competition from craft beers, which are growing faster in the U.S. than big-name brands. “Black Crown’s bringing Bud to a more sophisticated crowd and occasion,” Patricio says.