You Can Dress Them Up, But You Can't Change The Price

Sales are declining for Budweiser beer, and what does Annheuser-Busch InBev do?

Change the can.

Because clearly it's the design of the label that's putting people off Budweiser and on to Busch Light or Coors.

So very clever, those Belgians.

Now owned by an international conglomerate, the Annheuser-Busch brand won't be featuring the old red, white, and blue color scheme. Too Yankee-ish. It's red, white, and gold in the future.

Ask any college student and they'll tell you that Busch Light is their beer of choice because it's cheap. The average adult doesn't take all that long to figure that one out as well.

So if you're watching your expenses carefully, and who isn't these days, you'll switch to a cheaper brand rather than do without a cold one at the end of a long day. InBev could make the cans green and purple and it wouldn't change the simple fact that times are hard, beer drinkers are cutting back, and so Busch Light is winning the race.

According to Rob McCarthy, vice president at Budweiser, the new look is an update that incorporates the design elements that loyal Bud drinkers know and love. One look at the modern version of the old label and those Bud fans will be yearning for the crisp, refreshing taste that, sadly, is a bit out of their price range at the moment.


A new label on the can or bottle won't fix what's wrong with declining sales. Only a rebound in the economy can make Budweiser once again affordable to the masses. A new price, rather than a new color scheme, would help sales. That, however, wouldn't do a thing for InBev's bottom line.