MillerCoors brings together two strong traditions of innovation. The summer of 2008 saw the biggest change in the U.S. beer business since Prohibition. The creation of MillerCoors the combination of Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company creates the strongest No. 2 player the industry has seen in three decades or more. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch is on the verge of being acquired by InBev to create the biggest brewer in the world. Add it up and the U.S. beer business is going to get a lot more competitive. And innovation no doubt will play a key role in that competitive fight. The latest issue of Brew Magazine takes a look at the changes taking place in the beer business and zeroed in on what competition means for the new MillerCoors. To receive a subscription to Brew Magazine, drop a line with your name and email address here . From the issue: The combination of Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company brings together two brewers with strong traditions of innovation. Miller brought modern marketing practices into the beer business, popularized light beer and last year rolled out Miller Chill. Coors perfected the cold filtering brewing process, introduced the first two-part aluminum can, and used packaging innovation to drive Coors Lights success. Recognizing that consumers are always looking for something new, MillerCoors is committed to making innovation a hallmark of the organization. Innovation in beer is really important because people like to try new things, says Leo Kiely, CEO of MillerCoors. New ideas, cleverly executed, whether good packaging ideas, marketing ideas or advertising ideas, all qualify as innovation. You need to attract a certain amount of trial in the category every year, and you need something new to pull those people in. MillerCoors will pursue innovation efforts and so will units within MillerCoors. The AC Golden Brewing Company, a subsidiary launched at Coors, and the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, which was a unit of Miller, both will continue to develop brands. A reason MillerCoors will be able to emphasize and invest in innovation is because it will find savings and synergies elsewhere in the organization, says MillerCoors President and Chief Commercial Officer Tom Long. Because were going to take cost out of the system, were going to have more options for investment, Long says. We have a nice combination of package and product innovation between the companies. I think that gives people confidence to stretch even farther as we come together. Read the whole issue here.  read more »

MillerCoors vs. Anheuser-Busch InBev means more competition. Whos best positioned to win? The summer of 2008 has seen momentous change in the beer business. The creation of MillerCoors establishes the strongest No. 2 player the industry has seen in many years. And No. 1 player Anheuser-Busch is slated to be acquired by InBev. Anheuser-Busch InBev would easily become the biggest brewer in the world and one of the largest consumer goods companies, period. But for all the change, its clear that competition in the beer business is going to become more intense. The latest issue of Brew Magazine takes a look at the changes taking place and how the new competitive situation is shaping up. To receive a subscription to Brew Magazine, please drop a line with your name and street mailing address here . Here's an excerpt from the lead story: Not since Prohibition has the U.S. beer industry changed as much as it has in 2008. For decades the U.S. beer industry looked the same: Anheuser-Busch sold half the beer in the country and dominated competitors that werent even half its size. But the creation of MillerCoors -- the combination of Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company -- creates the strongest No. 2 player the industry has seen in three decades or more. And it comes just as A-B, once the biggest brewer on the planet, is on the verge of being absorbed by InBev. Both of these heavyweights confront a beer business thats changed dramatically over the years. Both are grappling with the rapid increase in the cost of everything from fuel to commodities. No one harbors any real hope that the industry will return to the low-cost environment enjoyed just a few years ago. Theyre also contending with tough competition from wine and spirits, as well as a changing consumer environment. The trading up trend has fueled the growth of imports and crafts and the surge in wine and spirits. Latinization has driven the growth of Mexican imports. Consumers once stuck loyally to one beer; but today, most have a repertoire of four or five beers. MillerCoors and the soon-to-be created Anheuser-Busch InBev will race to see which can figure out and tap into the beer industrys many changes. The stakes are high and the competition is going to be intense. They face a fragmented consumer market, says Maureen Ogle, historian and author of the book Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer. Can they be nimble and quick and at the same time be steady and rooted?  read more »

Brew Blog's picks of news from the beer business and beyond. Beer volume in supermarkets slipped by 1.8 percent during the four weeks ended May 24, according to beer sales statistics from Nielsen. National weighted average prices increased by 2.7..."Brew" Blog

Brew Blog's picks of news from the beer business and beyond. A strong incremental volume gain drove total beer sales in supermarkets up 0.5 percent for the four weeks ended May 3, according to beer sales statistics from Nielsen. Pricing..."Brew" Blog

Coors cruises.Anheuser-Busch is nearing its second anniversary of failing to gain share in convenience stores, according to beer market analysis by Nielsen.A-B lost 0.5 points of share during the four week period ended April 19 in a channel it dominates, according to beer sales statistics from Nielsen. Its now failed to record a share gain in 23 straight months. Its last share increase occurred in September 2006.The culprit: The Bud franchise. A-Bs flagship brand family lost 0.8 points of share. Budweiser lost a full point of share, Bud Light lost 0.3 points -- its worst showing in more than two years -- and Bud Select lost 0.1 points.This bleeding more than offset growth by the Busch (up 0.2 points) and Natural Light (up 0.1 points) franchises during the period.  read more »