Editor’s note: This is the final post in the first round of The Fast Horse Experience Intern-For-A-Day series. We’ll choose the next group of writers in about two months. Stay tuned for details about the next open call for guest blog post submissions.

This week’s Intern-For-A-Day is Lauren Marosok, who will be coming to Fast Horse this Thursday. Here’s a little about Lauren:

Lauren Marosok

Lauren is a junior at the University of St. Thomas, majoring in public relations and advertising. Her dream job is to work as an entertainment publicist in California or New York. An animal lover, Lauren has two horses and two cats. She also enjoys running, writing fiction and poetry and being involved in the St. Thomas Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma. We can’t wait to hear about the horses. Speaking of which:

Trading in Clydesdales for Thoroughbreds?

By Lauren Marosok

Anheuser-Busch has launched a new marketing campaign that will allow the age-old Budweiser brand to reach a different group of consumers and expand its retail. The new target group is the under-30 crowd, which the brand seems to view as an untapped marketing gold mine.

The logic behind the new marketing campaign is that Anheuser-Busch wants to target an age group that has not reached the time in their lives where they have strong, set brand loyalty. After viewing one of the advertisements for the campaign, “Grab Some Buds,” I think there is potential for positive results.

The brand needs to recognize that it’s dealing with a longstanding brand representation that needs to be overcome to target this younger audience. Budweiser has previously been known as “a man’s beer” targeting loyal, middle-age and older customers, who are typically male. To expand this label, the message needs to be delivered that Budweiser can be the beer for anyone, and more importantly, that Budweiser should be the beer of choice for the younger generation.

Anheuser-Busch made a smart first step when it re-designed some of the packaging, which gave Budweiser a much needed, youthful makeover with a colorful, flashier look. However, the company needs to be able to sell a Budweiser lifestyle that is compatible with the fast-paced, ever-changing way consumers in their 20’s live.

The ad campaign for “Grab Some Buds” starts to make that happen by showing shots of young, busy people doing a variety of ‘lifestyle’ activities, while also showing the Budweiser beer being produced and bottled. This communicates the message that Budweiser can keep up with your lifestyle, no matter where you choose to go. This is a good first step, but Budweiser needs to understand that it’s competing with brands that already have the attention of this younger demographic, such as Corona and Coors.

It’s hard to change an image. Many young people still remember the old Budweiser commercials that advertised to their fathers. I think it will help tremendously that Budweiser will continue the campaign through the Super Bowl, because this will allow them to reach the most of their new target consumers possible. It will be hard work, but if Budweiser continues to create ads like the new “Grab Some Buds” spot, I think they can draw in the younger consumer base. They just need to remember that they are not just selling a beer, but a lifestyle.