Wassup

The bid of Inbev on Anheuser-Busch has been widely discussed, and not only financially. A real solidarity movement has risen to defend thé national brand par excellence, ‘Bud', comparable with our own Jupiler. The loss for the 'king of beers' brand is real in the US and emotions are running high.
After the refusal of the bid, Inbev has started an advertising campaign ‘What would not change at Anheuser-Busch’, to illustrate its historical positioning as 'the world's local brewer'.
The saga is a perfect illustration of the development of brands in a global world, where the choice between global efficiency and local relevance has to be made. One thing is clear: thé global consumer does not exist.

See the historical Wassup campaign for Bud beneath and read the column of this week here.

Made by You

It is clear by now that 'user generated content' is more than a hype. Innovative and up-to-date brands have learned to deal with it. User generated content is only one outcome of the empowered consumer. Look at one of the latest hits on You Tube these days, 'Why every guy should buy their girlfriend a Wii Fit’, a movie made by a guy of his girl friend doing her Wii Fit hula-hoop exercises. Excellent and free advertising for the Nintendo play console?

A global CEO study done by IBM, shows that CEO's are aware that the empowered consumer is more than a flash in a pan and most of them consider these 'prosumers' as an opportunity more than a threat.

Read the column of this week here.