Longtime network TV advertiser Anheuser-Busch is finally beginning to broaden its media horizons. The brewer, traditionally the Super Bowl's single biggest advertiser, is shifting some of its ad
dollars away to cable TV and the Internet. The brewer is making the move in light of a stagnant beer market and a blistering price war with its biggest rival, SABMiller. Tony Ponturo, Anheuser vice
president of global media & sports marketing, noted that men and women aged 21-34--a key demographic for the brewer--were spending 55 percent of their TV time with cable networks. "What we're really
doing is following the consumer," he said. He added that the migration of major sporting events to cable channels has also affected Anheuser's decision-making and that Anheuser's challenge was to
develop "the next beer consumer." A-B is also planning to put more emphasis on promoting its beers in bars and restaurants.
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