Imports continued solid but unspectacular gains: up 97,000 bbls, 5.4% in Oct. That pushed yr-to-date gain to 1.1 mil bbls, 5.9%. Both Mexican and Dutch shipments growing at double-digit pace, including 17.5% and 8.9% gains in Oct respectively. Irish and UK shipments way off in Oct, but still up slightly YTD. German shipments down 3% for 10 mos and Canadian shipments down 9%. Meanwhile, estimate for Oct domestic taxpaid shipments increased by 200,000 bbls, according to Beer Inst's Matt Hein. So Oct domestic shipments up nearly 3%. Domestic taxpaids up 1.7 mil bbls, 1.1% for 10 mos. And US beer mkt up nearly 3 mil bbls, over 1.5%, including imports.

AB and Miller each spent $67-68 mil in 3d qtr on measured media for major brands, according to CMR.  AB jumped spending $22 mil, 51% and Miller more than doubled its ad spending Jul-Sep.  AB spending up $94 mil, 46% for 9 mos.  Miller spending now up $38 mil, 23% for 9 mos, had been flat in 1st half.  But Miller (and its distribs) spent $53.4 mil on malternatives; over ¼ of its spending on well under 5% of volume.  Meanwhile, Lite spending down $2.3 mil, 2.5% and Gen Draft spending down 40%.  And AB (and its distribs) spent $43.4 mil on Bacardi Silver and Doc Otis for 9 mos and another $54.4 mil on Mich family.  That’s almost 1/3 spending on less than 7% of its volume.  Difference is that Bud and Bud Light spending each up double digits. Tho Coors jumped 3d qtr spending “at a low double-digit rate” in peak-selling season, it told Wall St, CMR data doesn’t reflect jump:  Coors spending off 4% in qtr and 5% for 9 mos as Coors Light spending flat in CMR.   More in Beer Marketer’s INSIGHTS. 

 

Hugo Powell steps down as ceo Feb 1 for John Brock, currently chief operating officer at Cadbury Schweppes.  In 12-mo period, Interbrew has named a new chief executive officer, new chief operating officer (Jerry Fowden) and new chief marketing and sales officer (Brent Willis).  Only Jerry has  beer experience.  Interbrew underwent series of transformations, lotsa acquisitions and explosive growth under Hugo's leadership.  But it’s also been a bumpy road.  Interbrew went public in Dec 2000 at 33 Euros and is now down around 20, tho up this morning on new ceo announcement. 

NY Post article on low-carb Michelob Ultra quotes local AB sales dir for Manhattan that local Hooters going thru 4-6 kegs a week of Mich Ultra.  “I can’t figure it out.  Three plates of wings and a Michelob Ultra,” said sales dir Dave Anderson.  Dave also noted Ultra doing well in gay clubs.  "New brew has caught on mainly with city men, ever in search of that 6-pack of abs," wrote Post. 

Unsurprisingly, Heineken followed ad whiz Lee Garfinkel to agency D’Arcy after he left Lowe. Lee was key man behind its successful campaign of last several yrs. Now Lee moving again, but it will be a little more difficult for Heineken to follow. Lee taking job at DDB, wrote Adweek. That's the agency that has little brands like Bud and Bud Light on its roster.

Lately media winds blowin’ even more favorable than usual for direct shippers. Op-ed column in USA Today yesterday followed Wall St Jnl online editorial last mo. Tony Mauro, who has covered Supreme Court for a long time, wrote “traditional three-step method of selling wine… does not suffice any more,” as he lambasted “protectionist laws that preserve the monopoly of wholesalers.”

Center on Alcohol Mktg & Youth fired its latest salvo against beer ads today. Rapped brewers’ voluntary mktg guidelines too. CAMY, which put out study a few mos back claiming underage see more print ads than adults do, diddled data again and found that underage more likely than adults to “have seen” 25% of televised beer ads, whatever that means. Important tho, CAMY has new ally, ex-FDA commish David Kessler who led anti-tobacco charge. Kessler ripped alc bev industry guidelines as “so permissive that…they amount to no limits at all.”

Teen drinking rates continue to drop even while neos scream that youth see more and more alc bev ads. Annual data from huge UMich survey found percentage of 8^th, 10^th and 12^th graders who drank at least once per mo dropped 1-4 pts in each group in 2002.  Among high school seniors, 48.6% drank in mo before surveyed.  That’s down from 49.8% in 2001 and from over 70% in late 70s.  Percentage of 8^th and 10^th graders who drank at least once/month at lowest levels in 10 yrs.   Drunkenness and so-called “binge drinking” down too this yr.  Details in Dec Alcohol Issues INSIGHTS. 

Alc bev industry contributed $8 mil from individuals, PACs, and soft money to 2001-2002 election cycle, according to data at Center for Responsive Politics.  And NBWA’s PAC topped alc bev list with $1.868 mil:  78% of  its contributions went to Republicans.  AB was 2d at $1.389 mil, more evenly split at 47% to Democrats and 53% Republican.  WSWA (wine and spirits distribs) spent $404,000, also almost 3/4 to Republicans.  Interesting tho predictable political contrast: Gallo spent $235,000, 98% Democrat while Coors spent $276,000, 82% to Republicans. 

 

It’s dangerous to look at short-term numbers. That was illustrated yet again when it turned out beer biz in supers up whoppin' 32% in week ending Dec 1, according to IRI. Meant 4-week trend up 0.7% as final week more than made up for double-digit declines in each of previous 2. INSIGHTS and others expected down mo. But with Oct off slightly and Nov up slightly, recent trends in supers still well-below 2-3% yr-to-date gain pace. Net-net: story remains beer biz has generally slowed this fall.