Henry's Hard Soda

Henry's Hard Soda is a MillerCoors line of hard sodas, made with cane sugar, that are 4.2 percent alcohol by volume.[1][2][2] The brand was created with fun in mind, and inspired by Henry Weinhard, a "quirky, fun-loving"[3] German-American brewer who opened a brewery in Portland in 1862.

Due to the company's marketing muscle, Henry's Hard Soda was considered a serious competitor to the category leader, Not Your Father's Root Beer.[4] The marketing campaign included advertising on primetime networks and high-profile cable partners such as ABC, FOX, TBS, Food Network, and Bravo, along with a custom digital presence in top pop culture sites, traditional print media support, dual-language public relations programming and influencer initiatives.[5] The company noted the breakout success of its flavored malt beverage (FMB) Redd's Apple Ale in 2014. Bryan Ferschinger, MillerCoors senior director of innovation said, "FMB is something that has established itself and continues to grow, and we really believe that hard soda is the next segment to evolve."[6]

Henry's was able to obtain the No. 1 slot in the flavored malt-beverage segment with 24 percent of the market, prompting the company to expand its offerings with a new cherry cola flavor, backed by a multipronged ad campaign, with Ferschinger noting, "We're keeping the foot on the gas."[7]

Marketing

The hard sodas were marketed toward the Generation X and millennial generation audiences due to their affinity for soda,[6] with Ferschinger remarking, "We know Gen-Xers have stuff to do tomorrow, which is why we created Henry's Hard Soda. Henry's provides just the right amount of fun, helping people embrace their 'Live Hard-ish' lifestyle." In particular, the company sought to appeal to young parents.[8]

The company commission Mekanism to produce a commercial with the "Live Hard-ish" tagline, in which a group of Gen-Xers are drinking hard-ish beverages and cheering while watching a sports game when they suddenly subdue themselves upon hearing a baby crying on the baby monitor.[9][10] In another commercial, the "-ish" part of the "hard-ish" is emphasized when a man puts a coaster under his drink, and slogans like "GO BUCKMILD", "RAISE HECK", and "PARTY SOME OF THE NIGHT LONG" appear, alongside other symbols of the live hard-ish lifestyle, such as medium salsa and high-SPF sunblock.[11]

Henry's Hard Sparkling

In 2017, Henry's Hard Soda released Henry's Hard Sparkling, debuting with Hard Sparkling Lemon Lime and Hard Sparkling Passion Fruit, with Josh Wexelbaum, MillerCoors marketing director for Henry's Hard Sparkling saying, "Henry's Hard Sparkling is perfect for those looking to treat themselves, lightly. Whether it's following a group spin-class or during a post-softball game toast with friends, Henry's Hard Sparkling offers everyone the option for a lighter celebration."[12][13]

Products

Sodas

The sodas are flavored malt beverages with cane sugar, which allows it to fall into the craft beer category.[3] The hard sodas come in six-packs of bottles and single 16-ounce cans and are available nationwide.[14]

  • Henry's Hard Ginger Ale[15]
  • Henry's Hard Orange Soda[16]
  • Henry's Hard Lemon Lime[17]
  • Henry's Hard Grape Soda[18][19]
  • Henry's Hard Cherry Cola[20]

Sparkling water
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Lemon Lime[21]
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Passion Fruit[21]
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Strawberry Kiwi[21]
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Peach Mango
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Sparkling Pineapple
  • Henry's Hard Sparkling Blueberry Lemon

References
  1. "The Argument Against (Henry's Hard Soda)". Beervana.
  2. "MillerCoors Launches Henry's Hard Soda". Brewbound.com. January 4, 2016.
  3. "The Rise of Hard Soda - Out & About Magazine". Outandaboutnow.com. 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  4. Genovese, Peter (January 29, 2016). "Hard soda takes nation by storm: Which ones are the best, worst?". nj.com.
  5. Gailit, Broc. "newschoolbeer.com". newschoolbeer.com.
  6. Tom Rotunno. "Hard soda wars about to foam over". Cnbc.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  7. "MillerCoors finds a hit with Henry's Hard Soda, will release 3rd flavor, cherry cola". Chicagobusiness.com. 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  8. Michal Clements. "Hard Soda Brands Built Business by Understanding Millennial Drinkers | The Market Strategist". Chicagonow.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  9. "MillerCoors Seeks Sales Pop From Gen-Xers With Hard Soda". adage.com. January 22, 2016.
  10. "Henry's Hard Soda TV Commercial, 'Parents Live Hard-ish'". iSpot.tv.
  11. "Henry's Hard Soda "Live Hard-ish" Case Study". November 28, 2016 – via Vimeo.
  12. Staff, A. O. L. "Henry's Hard Sparkling is the freshest way to drink booze". AOL.com.
  13. "MillerCoors Launches Henry's Hard Sparkling Water". Brewbound.com. March 6, 2017.
  14. "Key Hard Soda Brands –". Marketwatchmag.com. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  15. "Henry's Hard Ginger Ale TV Commercial, 'Game Night'". iSpot.tv.
  16. "Henry's Hard Orange Soda TV Commercial, 'Shrub'". iSpot.tv.
  17. "Henry's Hard Lemon Lime TV Commercial, 'Deja VuVu'". iSpot.tv.
  18. "Henry's Hard Grape Soda TV Commercial, 'This Guy'". iSpot.tv.
  19. Press Release (2017-01-31). "Henry's Hard Soda Launches New Grape Flavor". Brewbound.com. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  20. "Henry's Hard Cherry Cola TV Commercial, 'Except Cherry'". iSpot.tv.
  21. "7 Best Hard Seltzers for 2019 – Top Alcoholic Seltzer Brands for the Summer". Townandcountrymag.com. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
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