USA: MillerCoors launching Saint Archer Gold to tackle US third-most-popular beer Michelob Ultra

Michelob Ultra is now the third-most-popular beer in the U.S., and Chicago-based MillerCoors wants to tackle the behemoth, Crain’s Chicago Business reported on August 9.

MillerCoors is launching Saint Archer Gold, a light lager, nationwide beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The new product is aimed directly at stealing market share from Michelob Ultra, the company said.

At 95 calories and 2.6 carbs per 12-ounce serving, MillerCoors is targeting active people. Health-conscious drinkers, fueled by younger consumers, is a big reason why hard seltzers have exploded in recent years.

“They are all gunning for the king. I don’t know if there is a brand that can overtake Michelob Ultra . . . they created the better-for-you market,” said Bryan Roth, an industry expert and an editor at Good Beer Hunting.

MillerCoors plans a major national marketing campaign for Saint Archer Gold through TV advertising, digital, paid social and other media. MillerCoors declined to give an exact marketing budget, but a spokesman said it will have similar resources to other MillerCoors national product launches.

Michelob Ultra passed Miller Lite last month and is now the third best-selling beer in the U.S., behind only Bud Light and Coors Light, with total sales of $2.05 billion through the first seven months of 2019, according to Chicago-based research firm IRI. While sales of Bud Light, Coors Light and Miller Lite are down 5.7 percent, 3.2 percent and 0.3 percent respectively, Michelob Ultra is up 14.8 percent year over year.

Michelob Ultra hit store shelves in 2004 and was popular from the launch by targeting athletes and health-conscious drinkers.

Even Saint Archer Gold’s packaging mirrors Michelob Ultra's slim cans. MillerCoors initially tested the brand in bottles but switched to slim cans, like it uses for Henry's Sparkling Seltzer.

“During the summer, it’s a good time to get it out (to a wider audience). People are buying beer and people are looking for this type of beer," Roth said.

Saint Archer Gold was tested over the past six months in several markets. In late 2015 MillerCoors acquired Saint Archer Brewing, which was founded in San Diego by a group of professional surfers, skateboarders and snowboarders. Saint Archer has nine beers.

“The primary thing that attracted us to Saint Archer from the start was the amazing job the team did building this brand naturally in the active-lifestyle space," Paul Verdu, vice president of sales and marketing for Tenth & Blake, the MillerCoors craft and import division, said in a statement. “Saint Archer Gold was the next obvious opportunity and what we hope is the first of a line of better-for-you brands coming from Saint Archer.”

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .