Wrestling legend wants to bring America back together, one beer at a time.
Real American Beer aims to become as “big as Bud Light” through a creative marketing strategy that pays tribute to late founder Hulk Hogan.
“His goal was for this to be bigger than Bud Light, and … now we have to make that happen,” said Real American Beer CEO Francis, adding that Hogan wanted his beer company to leave a bigger legacy than his wrestling career.
“I feel a deep responsibility to carry out what he started,” Francis said.
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Real American beer girls promote the product at an event. (Real American beer)
Francis said the company has a creative plan to differentiate itself from rivals that she believes have missed the mark in bringing beer to market. She said the company will not “push a message of beer” but will become part of “extraordinary moments.” It’s a nod to Hogan, who she said had a unique ability to excite and energize those around him.
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Real American Beer wants to differentiate itself from the competition by making the beer part of a meaningful experience instead of focusing on the product itself. According to Francis, it is a tactic that is different from most beer marketing, which focuses on the product itself.
The company uses a group of ‘Real American Girls’ to talk about the beer at events and connect with customers. According to Francis, the company gives a face to a brand “in a world where there are many faceless brands.”
The company also recently created a campaign highlighting people drinking Real American Beer while hunting for alligators.
Alligator hunting campaign with Real American Beer. (Real American beer)
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The company also plans to invest in country music and expand its partnership with NASCAR. It also created its own Real American Freestyle wrestling league with FOX Nation.
Earlier this year, the company announced a multi-year partnership with WWE, which will see Real American Beer featured on WWE’s flagship programs, including “Monday Night Raw.”
WWE also became a minority owner of the beer brand, which is now sold in 20 states. In April, it struck a deal with Walmart for stores in eight states: Florida, Illinois, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Real American beer girls promote the product at an event. (Real American beer)
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Although Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, said any new beer brand would “be hard-pressed to catch up to the size of current premium leaders” like Bud Light and Miller, he believes “there are still a lot of lager-drinking beer consumers across the country, which still looks like an opportunity to me.”
Particularly in the domestic lager market, which is still huge, even capturing 1% of the market share could mean big sales, Williams said. But that still won’t be easy. He noted that this is also one of the most difficult segments to break into as the major brands have the resources to remain dominant with enormous marketing and distribution power.
Real American beer girls promote the product at an event. (Real American beer)
Williams noted that some regional and heritage brands such as Lone Star, Rainier, Narragansett and Genesee have managed to build loyal followings by leaning on authenticity and local pride. New labels like Real American are also trying to tap into that same appeal, Williams said.
“There are also many properties and consumers that are still up for grabs when it comes to new consumers of legal drinking age or current drinkers looking for an authentic, quality brand to call their own,” Williams said. “There are still plenty of opportunities for any new brand to find success. Achieving a scale that rivals an industry leader like Bud Light is not a task to be taken lightly.”
