Greetings!

Cause marketing linked to edibles is dominated by campaigns aimed at women (especially Moms), but we've noticed an upsurge in male- or adult-targeted beer campaigns.  Note how well these programs mesh with their distinctive brand profiles. 

Taking a patriotic approach, Miller High Life's "Give a Veteran a Piece of the High Life" promotion entered its second year this summer.  Consumers who turn in specially-marked caps or tabs to participating retail accounts can unlock a 10 cent donation.  Miller will donate up to $1 million in cash and experiences to veterans and their families, in coordination with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).   

Not to be outdone, Budweiser created Here's to the Heroes, a program that leverages its Major League Baseball sponsorship to fund scholarships for the families of soldiers killed or disabled in action.   It's aiming to raise $2 million for the nonprofit Folds of Honor by donating 5 cents per case sold from May 26 to July 10 and $100 per home run hit during this year's baseball season.   One sign of how seriously Budweiser took this: it redesigned its iconic can for the first time for this campaign. 

Louisiana-based craft brewer Abita has responded to local needs by brewing up special cause-branded beer.  Restoration Ale, created in response to the devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, resulted in a whopping donation of $550,000 to local nonprofits. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Abita created SOS (Save our Shore) "charitable pilsner." The company donates 75 cents per bottle sold (average retail about $3.99) which pretty much makes it a break even product for Abita.   Explained the company's president David Blosser:    

"Whatever donation level we set we make sure that it hurts a bit.   We feel that a true donation should reflect sacrifice."

Other beer-cause campaigns of note include:   

Sam Adam's Brewing the American Dream, a partnership between Sam Adams and ACCION offering loans and mentoring to small business owners in the food, beverage and hospitality industries.  The program ties back to founder Jim Koch's entrepreneurial roots. 

New Belgium Brewing's Tour de Fat, an iconoclastic bicycle festival that celebrates and supports cycling and sustainability in key markets for its Fat Tire Ale and other sudsy offerings.

Cheers!

David Hessekiel

President

Cause Marketing Forum

PS -- If all this talk of beer whet your appetite, be sure to check out the recording of our September webinar 'Food for Thought:  Cause Marketing and the Restaurant Industry' by Carrie Welch.  It's chock full of advice on how to partner with local fine dining restaurants.