Miller Joins Ice Wars With Brand Blitz

Not to be left out in the cold (no pun intended) for America's most recent beer craze, Miller Brewing Co. has introduced a number of ice beers. While several of the new ice beer brands are undergoing tests, Miller officials say there is little reason to worry about confusion among consumers. Each product, they say, has its own unique image.Included in this blizzard of new beers are: Icehouse, Miller High Life Ice and Leinenkugel's Ice. In addition, Miller distributes Molson products in the United States, which, of course, includes Molson Ice."There's a lot of interest in the category," explains Ron Richards, a spokesman for the Milwaukee brewer. Ice beers have captured and maintained a healthy 10 percent of the Canadian market, and all indications point to the same success in the United States, Richards adds.Even with such a flood of new products in the ice beer category, Richards doesn't foresee a problem with consumers differentiating among Miller's own ice brands; or, for that matter, confusing them with a competitor's ice brews."We put out different products and people have different interests and tastes," he says. For example, Molson Ice is an imported beer and appeals to consumers who are interested in imported products. Whereas Leinenkugel Ice, which was recently introduced to test markets in Minneapolis, the northern suburbs of Chicago and northwest Wisconsin, will most likely appeal to those consumers who already enjoy Leinenkugel. "We believe consumers will continue to buy into the brand," Richards says.That same philosophy applies to Miller High Life Ice, currently in test around Grand Rapids, Mich., and Eau Claire, Wis. Miller High Life Ice, Richards explains, follows in the tradition and heritage of the Miller High Life brand. Basically, Miller is merging an established brand with a new process, he says.The exception is Icehouse, a new brand name. The beer is marketed under the name of the Plank Road Brewery -- Miller Brewing's original name. The beer capitalizes on "the rich history of the Plank Road Brewery name to showcase the time-honored tradition of ice brewing and the uniqueness of Icehouse," the company says.And where there's beer, there's sure to be point-of-purchase materials. "P-O-S materials play a huge part in what we do," Richards says. "It's very important to the marketing mix. It's something we really depend heavily upon, whether it's paper or more permanent. [The goal is to create] eye-catching, appealing materials, especially with a new product, to get people to give it consideration," he adds.The P-O-P materials for Icehouse were introduced nationally in November and include indoor tackers, pole toppers, static stickers, danglers, shelf strips, bull's eyes and bin stackers.All of these materials focus on the history of the Plank Road Brewery.Miller High Life Ice's point-of-purchase materials include table tents, buttons and banners. Richards says both Icehouse and Miller High Life Ice are relatively new brands, and the P-O-P materials are still being developed.

Miller Joins Ice Wars With Brand Blitz

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