Rival breweries vie for attentions of local bar patrons
The beer war between Milwaukee's Miller Brewing Company and St. Louis-based Budweiser has been frothing for a long time, as the two giants brew up advertising campaigns to seize the Madison market.
The Plaza has always been a Bud bar,\ said Plaza Tavern owner Dean Hetue. ""It's been a Bud bar since I started coming here when I was 18 in 1975.""
The lack of a Miller tap at the Plaza has not been a problem, according to Hetue, who points out the bar serves Miller in bottles and many Wisconsin microbrews. Moreover, he considers Budweiser part of his family tradition.
""My uncle works at one of two [nationwide] Budweiser malting plants in Manitowoc,"" Hetue said. ""In that sense, I consider it a Wisconsin beer.""
Nevertheless, Plaza bartender Mike Holgers said Miller outsells Budweiser there because of ""hometown advantage,"" despite strong relations with their Budweiser supplier, Wisconsin Distributors.
""I personally like Miller Lite better,"" Holgers added.
Miller Customer Service Representative Jim Bryan said Budweiser is attempting to capture the ""Lite market,"" by promoting products such as Bud Ultra and their ginseng-infused caffeinated energy drink, BE.
In spite of the fermenting campaigns, Bryan noted Miller sold 20 percent more nationwide than Budweiser in the last business quarter.
""They got to do what they got to do to sell a product that is inferior,"" Bryan said.
Bryan said Miller was ""responding in kind,"" promoting their brands Old English and Milwaukee's Best, as well as changing the packaging of Miller Genuine Draft.
Outside the Bud vs. Miller debate, microbrews tend to take a more ""grassroots"" promotion strategy, according to Fred Gray, head brewer of Janesville-based Gray's Brewing Company.
Gray explained his brewery has festivals and beer-tasting events to promote their product because there is not enough money for big advertising campaigns. He added Gray's sponsors local baseball and basketball teams, as well as nonprofits such as the Boys and Girls Club.
""We invest in the community, in hopes that they'll invest in us,"" Gray said. ""We try to attract people on our flavor and our quality, not our ability to attract a certain segment of the crowd.""
Despite advertising competition, Church Key manager Matt Bents said the bar just tries to facilitate better deals regardless of brand.
""Everyone has favorites."" Bents said. ""Just because there are promos doesn't mean people buy it."" \
