This Bud's Not For You

According to an article in this week’s Marketing magazine, the Anheuser-Busch brewery will not be able to market its Budweiser brand at the football World Cup 2006 in Germany, even though it has paid $40m (£23m) to be one of the tournament’s sponsors.

The right to use the name ‘Budweiser’ in Germany is actually owned by the Czech brewer, Budweiser Budvar.

Germany doesn’t permit the use of the name ‘Bud’ on its own either, because of possible confusion with the Bit beer brand, brewed by the German brewer Bitburger.

The whole idea of sponsorship is to buy the rights to associate your brand with the event, invariably involving sole rights to advertise and distribute your product in and around event venues. Ambush marketing is where non-sponsoring companies try to get round these restrictions.

According to Marketing magazine, the American Budweiser will probably be marketed as Anheuser-Busch Bud during the tournament.

Now there’s a catchy brand name! Imagine trying to ask for that after a few pints.

“I’ll have an Anherrr...err, hic! Shorry I’ll try again”

“I’ll have an Amsherbrush…., no thash not it either, burp! Oopsh pardon me”

“Forget it – I’ll have a Becksh.”

Also, according to Marketing, Anheuser-Busch will probably permit Bitburger to sell its Bit brand of beer in the stadia, even though it’s not a sponsor of the tournament!

Now that’s what I call Am-Busch marketing.