Visiting the Birra Moretti website, it soon becomes apparent that the context-base of their marketing strategy is football; Marketing through Sports, to use more appropriate marketing terminology. The company applies a traditional mainstream marketing strategy, which according to Sam Fullerton’s Sports Marketing textbook ‘can be defined as the use of traditional marketing strategies that incorporate a sports theme into the marketing program for nonsports products.’ Mr Fullerton continues stating that ‘it is important to remember that the intent of a mainstream strategy is to use the traditional elements of a marketing strategy to create a sports overlay in an effort to sell nonsports products.’ That is exactly what Birra Moretti does.
Product. Birra Moretti offers beer kegs that look like a football. In addition, the packaging of a six pack might suggest the participation for a football-related sweepstake.
Promotion. Birra Moretti adds sweepstakes to the mix like La Serata Perfetta. La Serata Perfetta comes in collaboration with Italian pasta-maker Buitoni Bella Napoli. Participants can win a 12-month Sky Calcio subscription (among other things), that enables them to watch all Serie A matches, which might be much more fun with a glass-full of Birra Moretti, as their marketers might suggest.
Pricing. Not much I can say in this regard, except that I did not see many beer kegs in Italian supermarkets. Obviously, buying a beer keg gives customers more beer for the money, which means it’s a good option for football fans, who meet up with their friends to watch a football match on the couch.
Distribution. Birra Moretti’s distribution of beer kegs in supermarkets, where football fans shop for groceries and snacks for football-match viewings at home, is a must.