Miller Lite is aiming to end its remarkable 2023 on a strong note, deploying a suite of consumer-facing programs in the on- and off-premise in December.
While wine and spirits are closely associated with the holidays, “we want to remind people the winter is filled with beer moments,” says Eric Wolfe, marketing manager for Miller Lite.
That’s been clear for Miller Lite, which began growing industry share last winter, ending this year’s third quarter up nearly a full share point and growing dollar sales by double digits, according to Circana.
“The holidays are not a just a season for wine and spirits, so there’s a big opportunity to secure displays and bring Miller Time to bars and restaurants,” Wolfe says.
THE BIG PICTURE
Beer is five times more productive in delivering dollar sales and generates four times more incremental dollars than wine or spirits during the winter holiday months – with less than a third of feature and display support, according to Circana.
And Miller Lite’s share of total beer is up nearly a full point compared to this time last year, according to Circana data. In the on-premise, Miller Lite has run a hot hand, as well, with dollars sales up more than nearly 9% and volume sales up 7% for the 12 weeks that ended Oct. 7, according to Nielsen.
- The brand’s growth contributed to Molson Coors grabbing more U.S. volume share than any other brewer in Q3, with total Molson Coors volume in the U.S. growing 4.5%, according to Circana.
So how’s it going to sustain that momentum?
“There are so many Miller Time moments during the holidays, and we’re looking to give consumers more reasons to pick up Miller Lite when they celebrate with friends and family,” Wolfe says.
ZOOM IN
Miller Lite has no shortage of plans to capture the attention of legal-age consumers during the holidays and beyond.
Bringing the gift of Miller Time
The brand is customizing its Tastes Like Miller Time campaign for the season, with retail tools that incorporate holiday icons and celebrate its 18 NFL alliances, including new alliances with the New York Giants and New York Jets, while giving consumers a chance to win knitwear, Beernaments and more.
In the on-premise, it’s supporting on-the-ground programs to get people into bars, such as picking up part of a drinker’s tab, holiday sweater parties, football watch parties and more.
Miller Lite’s localization program is in full swing
The brand is also offering local retail accounts flexible ways to talk to their customers, expanding the successful program it introduced alongside the Tastes Like Miller Time campaign last year.
“These local solutions can work across multiple markets and regions. Our field teams have taken these and ran with them,” he says. The brand will also kick off a Spanish-language push early next year, Wolfe says.
New this year: Beercrackers
New for this year is the Beercracker, a limited-edition nutcracker that cracks open beers instead of walnuts.
“Beernaments and our Christmas tree keg stand were incredibly successful during the last few years,” Wolfe says, with last year’s keg stand earning a company record nearly 4 billion earned media impressions. “The Beercracker is our new twist on a holiday classic."
- A limited amount of Beercrackers will be sold online starting Nov. 29 for $29.95, with new batches being released every day until they’re sold out. Legal-age consumers can enter for a chance to win a Beercracker, as well.
Miller Lite is also bringing back its popular Beernaments (this year with a display stand) and updated its line of holiday knitwear, available for purchase on Miller Lite’s shop site.
With the holidays leading into a local push in early 2024, followed by work around the NFL’s big game, Wolfe says Miller Lite is aiming to keep its foot on the gas.
“We’ve had incredible momentum, starting late last year in 2022,” he says. “We’ve got lots of great opportunities this winter with Miller Time moments to keep it going.”