Protests greet launch of B-to-the-E in U.K

Modern Brewery Age, July 11, 2005

Anheuser-Busch has launched its new beer/energy drink hybrid, B-to-the-E in Great Britain, provoking a small tempest in the British press.

The Guardian and the London Metro newspapers have attacked the product, asserting that it will fuel binge drinking among British youth.

Activist groups have already begun a media campaign against the product. The Institute of Alcohol Studies and Action on Addiction has been cited in the British press as leading an effort to quash the rollout of B(e).

And the media and activists might not be the only ones taking a look at B(e). The British drinks industry maintains its own regulatory body, called the Portman Group, which sets standards for advertising.

One of Portman Group's regulations is that alcohol cannot be advertised as an energy drink, which could force Anheuser to tread a fine line when it comes to advertising the beverage. Anheuser has said it is marketing the brand as a premium beer "with a little bit extra."

Jim Gorczyca, UK marketing director for Anheuser-Busch Europe told the British press that the company has consulted with the Portman Group about the product.

"We are marketing Be responsibly as we do all our beers," Gorczyca told the British press. "B(e) is a beer brewed, fermented and aged in a traditional way using the same high-quality brewing process as all of our beers."

The Portman Group may already be investigating the product launch, according to industry analysts. Under the Portman Group's by-laws, any complaint by a group or individual about alcohol industry marketing practices can trigger an investigation.

Complaints to the Group are passed on to an independent complaints commission. If the commission decides to take action on the complaint, it can issue an alert instructing retailers not to stock a product.

Anheuser-Busch has not signed on with the Portman Group, and is thus not strictly bound by its regulations.