It seems that at some point in the 1980s or 1990s, people no longer drank beer just because they were thirsty. Instead, they needed to make a lifestyle choice. Smart, sophisticated people needed to show how cool they were by drinking overpriced imports or microbrews. I was not immune to the marketing of the time and wound up drinking a few brews with limes wedged into them until I learned better.

Former advertising executive John Greening, who did work for Anheuser-Busch, raised a more serious issue, pointing out, "their hot hand has always been Bud Light. This takes the attention away from the hot hand."

Continue reading Anheuser-Busch to launch lime-flavored beer . . . eew

Anheuser-Busch to launch lime-flavored beer . . . eew originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Posts for all the current Battle of the Brands match-ups have gone live this past week, and while there are some close races, some early favorites have already emerged as well.

In the Saks vs. Nordstrom match-up, for instance, Saks is a clear favorite with about 80% of of your votes. As for Splenda vs. Equal, its Splenda with about 75% of the vote. However, only about 100 of you have voted in each of these match-ups, so things could easily swing the other way.

It's probably no surprise that in the rivalry between Wal-Mart and Target, Target is clearly ahead with nearly two-thirds of your vote. The Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) affiliated Sam's Club isn't faring any better in its match-up with Costco, the latter currently holding about 75% of the votes.

The early surprise is with General Motors vs. Toyota. Despite Toyota's advantages as outlined in the post, more than two-thirds of you prefer down-but-not-out General Motors (NYSE: GM). This match-up has received more than 500 votes so far, and some lively back and forth in the comments. Check it out.

The monster match-up, though, and maybe an even bigger surprise, is FedEx vs. UPS. There have been more than 50 comments and more than 2,000 votes cast so far. About two-thirds of you prefer good old United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), but there are some strong opinions about each of these brands.

Other active vote getters so far have been Coke vs. Pepsi, with more than 400 votes, Apple vs. Microsoft, approaching 400 votes, and Bud Light vs. Miller Lite, with well over 300 votes. About two thirds of you prefer Coca-Cola and Bud light (though not at the same time, I'm sure), while about three-quarters of you prefer Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) products (hello all you iPod lovers).

In CNN vs. Fox News, the latter has jumped out to a quick lead. We could soon see some fireworks in the comments for this match-up as well.

Other match-ups showing clear favorites in the early running are Coach vs. Louis Vuitton, Yahoo! vs. Google, and Amazon vs. Barnes & Noble. And those favorites are Coach (64%), Google (68%), and Amazon (60%).

While all these are clear favorites right now, the polls are still open, and vote tallies are rising fast. Anything could happen. Be sure and let us know which brands you prefer by voting in our reader polls, and we'd love to hear why you're loyal to your favorites in the comments of any of our Battle of the Brands posts.

Battle of the Brands: Early favorites emerge originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and watch out for more Battle of the Brands posts.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been known to turn up my nose at (free) pitchers of Miller Lite, exclaiming "this [potential explicative] stuff taste like formaldehyde!" Many of my closest friends and family members, however, prefer the "tastes great/less filling" brew to any from Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD). Though everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, when it comes to the battle of the light lagers, I don't go quietly into the night with this one. Maybe it's because I was born and raised in St. Louis, which would arguably cease to function without BUD dollars. Maybe I simply prefer red to blue. Or perhaps it's because I'm not a huge fan of tasting formaldehyde (I kid!). Regardless, I stand my ground for my right to drink Bud Light, demanding it for shared pitchers and community coolers. In fact, I haven't even tasted Miller Lite in about seven years, but more on that later.

Celebrity Backers: "H.O.V.A." vs. the Nicest Divorced Guy in America

From the real men of genius to the man-law round table, both BUD and SABMiller (LSE: SAB), the London-based parent company of the Miller Lite brand, are powerful forces in the advertising business, and celebrity endorsements continue to roll in. Rap artist Jay-Z emerged from retirement ready to pitch Budweiser Select (a low-carb, 99-calorie offering) while Burt Reynolds, Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, and others sit on Miller's aforementioned round table. While not lending an endorsement in a traditional sense, who can forget Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson frequently kicking back with ice-cold cans of Miller Lite on the now-defunct (in every-which-way) Newlyweds? The brand allegiance added to Lachey's corn-fed all-American appeal (and I say that honestly as a BUD fan).

Continue reading Bud Light vs. Miller Lite: Battle of the Brands

Bud Light vs. Miller Lite: Battle of the Brands originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.