• Ad Age, Tuesday, April 24, 2007 11 AM

Fresh from the flop of its "Man Laws" campaign, Miller CEO Tom Long told distributors at an annual conference last week that the No. 2 brewer intends to return Miller Lite to the combative posture it largely abandoned in 2005.

Long--the one-time president of Coke's Northwest European division--is modeling the Miller offensive on the Pepsi Challenge model of his former archrival, Pepsi Cola. But unlike Pepsi, which went after one brand--Coke--Miller Lite plans to compare taste, carbohydrates and calories to all rival beers.

A similar strategy worked well for Miller Lite when it picked up market share from No. 1 light beer Bud Light in 2003 and 2004. But Long acknowledges that being a challenger brand today is no longer as simple as taking punches at Bud Light. In addition to the wine and spirits brands that continue to steal beer drinkers, there are now 13 beers in the premium-light-beer category.

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