tell me about Miller Chill
- Thread starter MadJack
- Start date
I didn't care much for it either, although we have been selling a fair amount of it at the bar.:shrug:
Posted on Sat, Jun. 30, 2007
Miller tries lime-and-salt beer to boost sales
By DAVID KESMODEL
The Wall Street Journal
Miller Brewing Co., known for its conventional slate of American beers, is hoping a brew with a Mexican twist can help pull it out of a sales slump.
The Milwaukee brewer is launching Miller Chill, a 110-calorie beer flavored with lime and salt, throughout the U.S. this summer after a successful test run in Texas and other states.
Miller said Chill is expected to be available in the Kansas City area as early as this week.
Chill is Miller?s answer to the michelada, a drink popular at Mexican beach resorts usually consisting of beer, lime juice and ice in a salt-rimmed glass.
Miller, the North American arm of London-based SABMiller PLC, plans to spend more than $30 million this year on television and print advertising for Chill. TV ads in local markets included the slogan ?Se habla Chill?? (?Do you speak Chill??).
Miller is counting on Chill to help it reverse a sales decline in North America and regain market share in the face of brutal competition.
In the U.S., beer giants Miller, Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Molson Coors Brewing Co. are struggling to increase sales of their flagship domestic beers as beer drinkers increasingly reach for imports and small-batch ?craft? brews. Miller?s prowess in the American beer industry has been gradually slipping since the 1980s, when Miller Lite held the lead in the light-beer wars with its famed ?Tastes Great, Less Filling? ad campaign.
Last year, Miller Lite lost market share to the best-selling U.S. beer, Bud Light. Miller?s other brands, such as Miller High Life and Miller Genuine Draft, have stumbled for several years. In the year ending March 31, Miller?s earnings before interest, taxes and amortization slid 17 percent, making it the worst performing of SABMiller?s regional divisions. North American sales fell 1 percent to $4.9 billion.
The brewer hopes Chill, which it calls a premium light lager, will appeal to light-beer drinkers seeking more flavor. Miller is targeting 21- to 35-year-olds with the new brand, said Randy Ransom, Miller?s chief marketing officer.
?Consumers are looking for new and different ways to experience beer, and they?re willing to pay for it,? he said. ?The core objective of this brand is to take share from competitive mainstream brands by giving light-beer drinkers a compelling reason to trade up.?
At stores, a six-pack of Chill, sold in lime-green long-neck bottles, sells for $6.50 to $7, about a dollar more than a six-pack of Miller Lite.
Miller isn?t positioning Chill as an alternative to Grupo Modelo SA?s Corona, the popular Mexican import often served with a wedge of lime, Ransom says, stressing that the two beers taste very different.
Beer industry analysts say the introduction of Chill is an important move for the company.
?They need a shot in the arm,? said Benj Steinman, editor of the industry newsletter Beer Marketer?s Insights. ?This is a pretty big bet by Miller.?
Miller began researching the possibility of a michelada-style beer about 18 months ago. Its focus groups suggested American beer drinkers would be willing to try it.
?There?s clearly a move toward Latinization if you?ve been watching the American consumer,? said Ransom, citing hits such as the Mexican-food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
Michelada ingredients can vary. They sometimes include hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce with a pinch of black pepper. Miller tested more than 20 recipes of Chill. It declined to discuss how the beer is made, citing competitive factors. The brewer began test-marketing Chill in March in San Diego, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida. The beer did so well that Miller decided after four weeks to launch it nationally ? an unusually short trial period in the beer industry. Sales to retailers have been about 40 percent higher than the company?s goals, according to a recent memo sent to the company?s distributors.
However, U.S. brewers? past efforts at Mexican-style drinks haven?t had big success.
In 1999, for instance, Anheuser introduced Tequiza, a ?specialty malt beverage? flavored with lime, agave nectar and tequila.
Despite some initial success, Tequiza was unable to make a dent in sales of Corona, its main target.
Miller tries lime-and-salt beer to boost sales
By DAVID KESMODEL
The Wall Street Journal
Miller Brewing Co., known for its conventional slate of American beers, is hoping a brew with a Mexican twist can help pull it out of a sales slump.
The Milwaukee brewer is launching Miller Chill, a 110-calorie beer flavored with lime and salt, throughout the U.S. this summer after a successful test run in Texas and other states.
Miller said Chill is expected to be available in the Kansas City area as early as this week.
Chill is Miller?s answer to the michelada, a drink popular at Mexican beach resorts usually consisting of beer, lime juice and ice in a salt-rimmed glass.
Miller, the North American arm of London-based SABMiller PLC, plans to spend more than $30 million this year on television and print advertising for Chill. TV ads in local markets included the slogan ?Se habla Chill?? (?Do you speak Chill??).
Miller is counting on Chill to help it reverse a sales decline in North America and regain market share in the face of brutal competition.
In the U.S., beer giants Miller, Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Molson Coors Brewing Co. are struggling to increase sales of their flagship domestic beers as beer drinkers increasingly reach for imports and small-batch ?craft? brews. Miller?s prowess in the American beer industry has been gradually slipping since the 1980s, when Miller Lite held the lead in the light-beer wars with its famed ?Tastes Great, Less Filling? ad campaign.
Last year, Miller Lite lost market share to the best-selling U.S. beer, Bud Light. Miller?s other brands, such as Miller High Life and Miller Genuine Draft, have stumbled for several years. In the year ending March 31, Miller?s earnings before interest, taxes and amortization slid 17 percent, making it the worst performing of SABMiller?s regional divisions. North American sales fell 1 percent to $4.9 billion.
The brewer hopes Chill, which it calls a premium light lager, will appeal to light-beer drinkers seeking more flavor. Miller is targeting 21- to 35-year-olds with the new brand, said Randy Ransom, Miller?s chief marketing officer.
?Consumers are looking for new and different ways to experience beer, and they?re willing to pay for it,? he said. ?The core objective of this brand is to take share from competitive mainstream brands by giving light-beer drinkers a compelling reason to trade up.?
At stores, a six-pack of Chill, sold in lime-green long-neck bottles, sells for $6.50 to $7, about a dollar more than a six-pack of Miller Lite.
Miller isn?t positioning Chill as an alternative to Grupo Modelo SA?s Corona, the popular Mexican import often served with a wedge of lime, Ransom says, stressing that the two beers taste very different.
Beer industry analysts say the introduction of Chill is an important move for the company.
?They need a shot in the arm,? said Benj Steinman, editor of the industry newsletter Beer Marketer?s Insights. ?This is a pretty big bet by Miller.?
Miller began researching the possibility of a michelada-style beer about 18 months ago. Its focus groups suggested American beer drinkers would be willing to try it.
?There?s clearly a move toward Latinization if you?ve been watching the American consumer,? said Ransom, citing hits such as the Mexican-food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
Michelada ingredients can vary. They sometimes include hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce with a pinch of black pepper. Miller tested more than 20 recipes of Chill. It declined to discuss how the beer is made, citing competitive factors. The brewer began test-marketing Chill in March in San Diego, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Florida. The beer did so well that Miller decided after four weeks to launch it nationally ? an unusually short trial period in the beer industry. Sales to retailers have been about 40 percent higher than the company?s goals, according to a recent memo sent to the company?s distributors.
However, U.S. brewers? past efforts at Mexican-style drinks haven?t had big success.
In 1999, for instance, Anheuser introduced Tequiza, a ?specialty malt beverage? flavored with lime, agave nectar and tequila.
Despite some initial success, Tequiza was unable to make a dent in sales of Corona, its main target.
I thought it was pretty good and I'm a Bud Man. I don't think you would want to pound 10 of them or anything, but it wasn't bad.
When we are in Mex. most of the time our beer comes with a lime wedge. I don't mind that but something about drinking salty lime flavored beer doesn't appeal to me.
A friend of mine was down a couple of weekends ago and left of six pack of Miller High Life in the fridge "The Champagne of Beers". Ran out of beer last week and was like what the hell, lets drink the Miller:scared
For some reason they were pretty tasty, must have been the moment, but last night started drinking a beer, Shiner, and playing poker, the beer was excellent so I jumped and ran to the store and picked up another six of the Champagne of Beers. My opinion has now changed and I will not be purchasing any more of these:com: . Feeling pretty rough today but five oclock is quickly approaching:00hour
For some reason they were pretty tasty, must have been the moment, but last night started drinking a beer, Shiner, and playing poker, the beer was excellent so I jumped and ran to the store and picked up another six of the Champagne of Beers. My opinion has now changed and I will not be purchasing any more of these:com: . Feeling pretty rough today but five oclock is quickly approaching:00hour
WTF Andy? What's wrong with the High Life? What do you normally drink? I am mostly a Bud guy and I love High Life.
Back to the topic: I haven't even heard of this crap....but you know I'll have six down by the end of the weekend.
For some reason this drink makes me think of this scence in Caddyshack, as for what I would do with it...
Caddyshack
Caddyshack
If u don't like beer u will like it, I am sure the ladies will like this beer.
Taste about the same as Tequiza to me, which I can do w/o also.
Taste about the same as Tequiza to me, which I can do w/o also.
My buddy got one last night and really liked it.. we were all ****ed up so I could have drank 151 and thought it tasted like patron :shrug:
Gary, the Miller did not taste bad going down, but I usually do not have a hangover or feel bad the next day off 7 beers:scared
My usual first three are Coors Light, Corona and Shiner.
Take care bud!
