Case study – Objective: Change minds
Competition in the beer market is rife, with a variety of different brands now found in high-end pubs and bars. The overnight success of brands like BrewDog and the long-term growth of brands such as Estrella started to threaten San Miguel’s consistent sales growth. In order to combat this, San Miguel needed to reinvigorate its premium positioning.
The idea was to make San Miguel synonymous with experiences in order to reconnect with younger drinkers who may have been enticed by hipster beers. The brand created a ’San Miguel New Rich List’ with the Guardian, celebrating people who are rich in experiences, stories and adventure – as an alternative to The Sunday Times’ Rich List, which is based on material wealth.
San Miguel’s list embodied the brand’s values around enriching experiences and featured people that its young male audience could aspire to.
The campaign used stand-out photography and easy-to-navigate articles to tell stories of people who have changed their lives. It also featured an engaging video series, branded content, paid social and online traffic drivers, full page display ads and co-branded print promos.
Key findings
- 1 in 2 readers said that the content improved their opinion of San Miguel and 61% saw it as a fresh approach for the brand
- 26% of readers looked for more information on San Miguel after seeing the campaign
- Readers were 4 times more likely to choose San Miguel first when looking to buy lager
- There was a 33% increase in perception of San Miguel as more than just a Spanish beer
We were looking for a campaign that ran across platforms at a point in time, but would also be profitable and brilliant for years to come. The winner achieved both in spades.
Laurence Green, executive partner, MullenLowe
