Talk about being “late to the party.” Does this mean they’ll put their own name on it, or will it be attempts to hide the source like Plank Road Brewery, or coming up with another, seemingly unrelated name, like Blue Moon? The Professor would like to think this is going to finally be a fair fight. He’s not willing to bet any money on it.- The Professor
Written by Kim Bhasin for businessinsider.com
Three years ago, SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Co. merged in order to take on industry giant Anheuser-Busch. It has been all about cost-cuttingfor the company since.
Now, MillerCoors’ newly appointed CEO Tom Long thinks it’s finally time to change course, and laid out his plans in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.
He revealed that the brewer’s plan is past “stage one,” which was the streamlining process it went through over the past few years. Now, Long is focused on growth.
And he wants to do it organically — with craft beer, imports and light beer.
MillerCoors’ light beer brands like Miller Lite and Coors Light will remain its centerpieces, but Long identified a push into craft and imports as a major initiative. Craft beer is a segment that has done particularly well, posting huge gains over the past five years, according to the LA Times.
The company has proven that it can develop craft beer brands from the inside with its most successful foray into “craft style” beer (which imitates traditional craft beer but boasts mass distribution), Blue Moon. Last year MillerCoors opened up a new subsidiary dedicated solely to its craft and import brands, which in addition to Blue Moon include Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Leinenkugel.