Promoting Beer as The Great Connector is Only the First Step
Sometimes a consumer problem and a brand solution both exist in plain sight, and it’s only a matter of marrying up the two.
The problem: In many developed societies around the world, people are spending less time together with a resulting feeling of social disconnection – a situation which actually had its origins in the late 20th century but which certainly gained momentum as a result of Covid-era lockdowns. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that loneliness is a “profound, invisible epidemic” and that building meaningful connections is “a necessity for our survival.”[i]
The solution (in part): reminding people that beer plays a compelling role in helping bring people together – social connection has been the core emotional benefit of beer since its creation, thousands of years before marketers even started talking about ideas like emotional benefits.[ii]
Given this, it’s not really surprising how quickly an industry consensus has recently coalesced around the idea that the way to get beer sales growing again is to remind the drinking public of beer’s longstanding role in fostering social connection. While industry insiders as NBWA chief economist Lester Jones[iii] and retired Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink[iv] have been promoting this idea, it was Molson Coors that took the first, most concrete step. By now most readers have probably heard about the new advertising campaign for Miller Lite, Legendary Moments Start with a Lite. Rahul Goyal, CEO of Miller parent Molson Coors, recently penned a commentary for Fortune magazine in which he discusses the campaign in the context of beer’s role as “a conduit for social bonding.”[v]
We applaud this revitalization of an idea that had perhaps become somewhat dormant, for the beer industry and for Miller Lite. Going back to reminding the world what beer has always stood for, and what Miller Lite has always stood for[vi], is absolutely the right idea.
But in spite of this, we think it would be a huge mistake for most individual brands to promote social connection as their primary message right now. Why? “There’s an important distinction between the role of the category and the role of individual brands,” said Bob Russell, Senior Advisor, Brand Strategy at First Key Consulting.
Any industry is stronger when its individual brands are stronger, and strong brands are built on relevant differentiation, especially emotional or intangible differentiation. If every brand is seeking to be solely about social connection, the category as a whole may actually fail to take full advantage of this opportunity to maximize its relevance. But, as Russell added, “Social connection may be a powerful category benefit that can align with a great brand’s own reason for being.”
The brand equity of the U.S. beer category as a whole was arguably at its strongest in the period from around 1974 through 2001. Beer’s rising or falling share of total alcohol drinks is a reasonably straightforward (if imperfect) way to illustrate this. (See Figure 1.)[vii] Between 1960 and 1971, beer had been losing ground to spirits and wine. That all changed in 1974, when the beer category began a 25-year run of rising share.
There are certainly multiple intertwined reasons for this, but we believe the 1972-2001 period happened to feature some of the most effective beer advertising on record – effective especially in terms of differentiating brands through their emotional/intangible propositions. Of course, the 1970s also saw a surge in category ad spending, initiated by Philip Morris’s massive infusion of cash into Miller Brewing’s ad budget and then matched by at least some competitors. But it also matters what sorts of messages those advertising dollars supported, and those messages covered the gamut of relevant benefits.[viii]
Budweiser, the category leader, sold a sense of belonging.[ix] Miller High Life, the fastest growing brand at the time, positioned itself as the best reward for a hard day’s work.[x] Lite Beer from Miller associated itself with connection (which is different from belonging, in subtle but important ways).[xi] Before its dramatic fall, Schlitz ads focused on adventure.[xii]
As the 1980s unfolded, Coors and later Coors Light sold not only Rocky Mountain refreshment, but an outdoorsy feeling that traveled from the mountains to the beach.[xiii] And Bud Light rose to the top of the beer category by endorsing what we would call a cheerful disregard for social propriety, starting with Spuds MacKenzie[xiv] and then evolving to feature guys scamming for a beer.[xv] In the 1990s, Miller Genuine Draft had a very successful run withs ads built around an individualistic rebel protagonist,[xvi] while Corona ads immersed the brand (and the viewer) in pure relaxation.[xvii]
But in 2001 beer’s market share momentum stalled, thanks to a tectonic shift in the alcohol advertising landscape. Distilled spirits ads had returned to network television. Many may argue that this newfound media muscle alone resulted in the reversals of share trends between beer and spirits. But again, it matters how that money is spent, and in our view many spirits brands invested in emotional differentiation, even as much beer advertising started to develop a certain sameness.
Captain Morgan rum sold its own version of disregard for social rules, similar to Bud Light but unique in the spirits industry.[xviii] Jack Daniel’s brought its long-standing rebel attitude to television.[xix] Johnnie Walker encouraged drinkers to “Keep Walking,” a metaphor for personal growth.[xx] Chivas Regal promoted chivalry, defined essentially as a conscientious sense of social obligation.[xxi]
Meanwhile, the range of themes that defined beer advertising during this period seemingly narrowed.[xxii] Without naming names, we would argue that there were a lot of homages to rule-breaking and masculine self-indulgence. There were of course exceptions: Corona continued to build on its relaxation message, while Dos Equis took up the mantle of adventure.[xxiii] Modelo became the badge of earned reward for the 21st century.[xxiv] Coors Banquet leveraged its Western heritage to position itself as an anchor of stability.[xxv] Michelob Ultra promoted status through physical fitness.[xxvi]
It’s been around 150 years since Adolphus Busch reportedly told Ernst Anheuser that “Our business is not just making beer. Making friends is our business.”[xxvii] “In an era where loneliness and social isolation are rising, beer’s role as a connector feels more important than ever,” said Russell. “The challenge for individual brands is to find their own differentiated role within that broader story.”
And when enough individual brands successfully meet that challenge, the industry as a whole benefits.
If your brand needs a clearer reason to win in a crowded market, we can help you define the strategy, positioning, and points of difference that drive profitable growth. We work with brewing and beverage companies to clarify their brand’s role, identify relevant consumer whitespace, and build practical go-to-market strategies that stand out. Contact us
[i] https://www.newsweek.com/us-surgeon-general-loneliness-epidemic-1960451
[ii] I’ve conducted cultural and consumer research in countries around the world, from Africa to Asia to Latin America, and I can tell you beer’s foundational role in social connection spans all of them.
[iii] https://vxptech.com/beer-trends-and-consumer-shifts/
[iv] https://www.ft.com/content/e86d431e-ece0-4861-8858-de89b34a4332
[v] https://fortune.com/2026/01/12/molson-coors-ceo-were-doing-our-part-to-solve-societys-occasion-problem-and-so-is-christopher-walken/
[vi] Full disclosure: I was in Consumer Insights for Miller Brewing for many years, and when we conducted extensive research in the 1990s to determine what different emotional benefits were most relevant to the drinkers of different brands, we characterized Miller Lite’s benefit as “Connection.” The origins of this can be traced directly to the “Miller Lite All-Stars” campaign that built the brand in the 1970s and 80s.
[vii] For a somewhat more detailed analysis of beer category equity, see https://firstkey.com/the-role-of-pricing-in-beers-declining-share-of-alcohol/
[viii] It’s worth noting that, in addition to their unique emotional territories, many of these ad campaigns also portrayed people socializing, as this was regarded as table stakes by most beer marketers. But this was largely context or support for the core message. And other advertisers correctly felt they could be assumptive about beer’s sociability by portraying solo protagonists experiencing a more individual emotional/intangible benefit.
[ix] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdy7OKTw9Io
[x] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3rRPwBbcc
[xi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOVHc4hcCX4
[xii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzvpALQxEWs
[xiii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrhEUcZ3UVo
[xiv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57L9PhN8iPs
[xv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdecsSihbyg
[xvi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2tPgA_mnfw
[xvii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00Us73IjLHQ
[xviii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i0JEOeSEP0
[xix] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TooEH-XZsLk
[xx]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZENvSVpImg
[xxi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLpDvACQGQ0
[xxii] Many craft beer brands were well-differentiated at this time, but without the budgets for television campaigns they had little opportunity to contribute to the richness of category imagery among the broader drinker base
[xxiii] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8nt94LCyqY
[xxiv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6mxQkVB3f8
[xxv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WQZMbitfsI
[xxvi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQsqfRiY72s
[xxvii] https://businesscasestudies.co.uk/company-tours-a-peek-behind-the-brand-curtain/
