Marketing Strategy Design

Remember those news reports a few weeks ago about the bear in Washington state that guzzled 36 cans of Rainier Beer, the one that made a clear choice over a competitive brand at his claws’ disposal?
Two marketing specialists familiar with this Rainier beer-loving bear offer their perspectives on what may have prompted him to join thousands of two-legged animals of legal drinking age in demonstrating a preference for the repackaged Rainier Beer brand.

“The bear most likely was drawn to the new, clean design of the Rainier Beer cans featuring beautiful Mount Rainier. And evidently, he showed the same wisdom and loyalty as his human counterparts, choosing a regional favorite over a national, mass marketed brand of beer,” commented Andy Gutowski, Object 9 partner and designer of the new packaging.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Object 9 is a nationally recognized marketing services firm that helps its clients achieve measurable business objectives through cost-effective solutions. Rainier Beer, first brewed in 1878 and distributed predominantly in the Northwest United States, had what many considered an outdated packaging design until engaging Object 9 a year ago.
To capitalize on the buzz the beer-guzzling bear has created in recent weeks, Object 9 created a “Bears Know Best” on-package decal and offered other on-package promotional concepts to the Rainer brand marketing team.

Object 9 has a long-term relationship with Pabst Brewing, the parent of the Rainier brand.  Object 9 helped Rainier revitalize its brand through new packaging design for cans and bottles, a series of outdoor, and point-of-sale promotional materials in supermarkets, convenience stores, bars and restaurants. 

According to Neal Stewart, Rainier senior brand manager, “Object 9 was the right choice for us because they understood the need for us to make an impact at the point of purchase.  Object 9 delivered a design that is classy yet bold enough to draw consumer attention.”