Dive Brief:
- Anheuser-Busch said its Michelob Ultra brand launched ULTRA 95, a free, dedicated skill on Amazon Alexa, that delivers a dozen customized fitness workouts to beer drinkers, according to Beverage Industry.
- ULTRA 95 can be utilized by anyone older than 21 who has an Alexa-enabled device, such as the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Amazon Tap. Each of the 12 audio workouts is designed to burn approximately 95 calories — the same number that’s in every serving of a Michelob Ultra — in 10 minutes or less.
- Michelob Ultra teamed with Rodale Inc., at leading global health-and-wellness content company, to bring in fitness experts and certified trainers to design the custom workouts.
Dive Insight:
Michelob Ultra's decision to create 12 customized fitness workouts to beer drinkers is a smart move at a time when many people care as much about living a healthy lifestyle through physical activity as they do in an enjoying a cold brew with friends. In a bid to portray a cooler, more modern image, alcohol companies are marking their beers toward adventurers and those with active lifestyles instead of the beer guzzler with a belly sitting on the couch. Millennials in particular are known to enjoy craft beers and socializing after a bike ride or hike.
The capabilities of the Echo are expanding after Amazon opened the platform to connected home device makers, enabling users to create skills through single-purpose apps. Last year, Liberty Mutual programmed some of its insurance services onto the Echo, and other companies are just starting to harness its power. By the end of 2017, many tech insiders predict skills like the ones Michelob Ultra introduced will be more common.
For large beer companies in the U.S., they are struggling to combat slowing sales and the growing popularity of craft breweries. According to studies, 81% of millennials exercise regularly, but tend to be more social than previous generations. Alcohol companies are creating new brews, many of them low-calorie beverages, that can be enjoyed by a group after the exercise is done. Michelob Ultra, with only 95 calories, can be worked off in 10 minutes or less, without special equipment — a mix that could be particularly alluring to many of today's beer drinkers. Expect more beer manufacturers to tap into this trend.