dolution

This Cat(fight) Is a Dog

In response to diet fads eschewing the intake of carbohydrates (e.g., the Atkins and South Beach diets) that were highly popular during the early 2000s, the Miller Brewing Company undertook an aggressive advertising campaign by comparing Miller Lite against Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light. Using humorous but hard-hitting TV ads, Miller Lite’s advertisements attempted to persuade consumers that that brand should be their preferred choice because it contains only one-half the carbohydrate content of Bud Light. This campaign had a substantial impact on Miller Lite’s market share, which rose while Bud Light’s share declined.
But prior to this particular ad campaign, Miller had attempted to boost sales of Miller Lite by running a campaign with blatant sex appeal. The campaign was dubbed “Catfight” based on the campaign’s initial spot in which two scantily clad women fought and shed clothing over whether Miller Lite tastes great or is less filling. A series of additional spots presented sexy women in confrontational scenes arguing over Miller Lite’s relative merits. The campaign generated considerable buzz as well as controversy for its treatment of women as sex objects.
However, of primary relevance in the context of the present discussion is the fact that, although brand awareness of Miller Lite increased during the Catfight campaign, actual sales declined by 3 percent. In a meeting with financial analysts who track the performance of Miller’s various brands, the president of Miller Lite had this to say about the ad campaign: “Awareness is not the problem, but actual [purchase] consideration is the problem and challenge and opportunity. We want to ensure that the [advertising] spend we put behind the brand is leading toward actual consideration and not just continuing to build awareness.”