"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -Benjamin Franklin-
To segment Yuengling's target consumers, the research team analyzed scores of purchase pattern reports, endless consumer surveys and market trends but Yuengling consumers are more than numbers on a page. We don't like to put Yuengling consumers in a box, but we are certain of one thing, Yuengling beer drinkers are predominately Caucasian men who love sports! Before analyzing our product data, the research team decided to first learn a little bit about the general beer industry and the Yuengling Company. D.G. Yuengling & Son was established in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and is the oldest operating brewery company in the United States. The company is currently owned and operated by 5th generation owner Richard “Dick” Yuengling Jr., who lives and works at the original brewery in Pottsville. There are two other Yuengling breweries in the U.S., one in Tampa, FL and another one in Pennsylvania.
In 2015, Yuengling was named the second top craft beer company in the U.S. after producing and selling 2,918,000 barrels of beer, far outnumbering its competitors like The Boston Beer Company and New Belgium Brewing Company in sales. Yuengling has extended its brand to include several different types of lager including Traditional Lager, Light, Premium, Premium Light, Original Black & Tan, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Oktoberfest, Summer Wheat, and India Pale Lager. Yuengling has also experimented with products outside of lager, specifically Yuengling Ice Cream that was reintroduced to the market in 2014 after near-thirty years of being unavailable for purchase.
The research team referenced target audience data previously conducted by Infoscout, Mintel, MRI and Simmons as well as conducting an online survey using Qualtrics. Based off this research, the primary consumer segment the team will focus on is “The Go Getter”, followed by “The American Renaissance Man”, then “The Tradesman”, and finally “The Active Lifestyle Drinker”.
The research team chose Emmett, “The Go-Getter” as the primary audience due to several key factors. “The Go-Getter” has a disposable income and is very social, often enjoying going to bars and restaurants. The research team strives to capitalize on this aspect of his life, positioning Yuengling as the brand to drink in social situations. Given his age (25-34), the team believes that we can create a loyal customer base for decades to come, for Emmett’s age group claims to have “grown up with” craft beer like Yuengling as it gathered pace in the 1980s, and considers themselves to be its “biggest fans” (Mintel). The research team chose Ron Swanson, “The American Renaissance Man”, as our secondary audience mainly because of his brand loyalty. While it is important to reach new consumers, the team should not overlook the most loyal fan base, and must invest in advertising to keep that audience loyal to the brand. Additionally, he is the wealthiest demographic and does not have kids, therefore has more money to spend on himself. The team’s third most important profile is Buck, “The Tradesman”. Although he only makes $40k-$60k a year, he buys Yuengling in bulk, is particularly brand loyal, and is willing to frequent multiple stores to purchase Yuengling beer. Finally, the fourth most important profile is the Tristan, “Active Lifestyle Drinker”. Although he enjoys beer, and has more disposable income than “The Tradesman”, he is of the lowest priority because of his price contentiousness and lack of brand loyalty. He is more likely to purchase an affordable beer than a beer which he has a strong relationship with. It will be difficult to convince “The Active Lifestyle Drinker” to become brand loyal, but the team aims to increase top of mind brand awareness to increase his likelihood of purchasing Yuengling when given the choice between multiple brands with similar prices. Table A as seen in the Appendix details the insights and strategies Yuengling should use to develop a marketing strategy based on the interests, lifestyles, purchase patterns and behaviors, as well as general descriptions of the four consumer profiles. Please refer to the side bar for a more in depth analysis of our 4 audience profiles!
