Stella Artois - Brewing a better reputation

Abstract: Imagine that it is June 19th, 2007, and you work for U.K’s largest brewery, InBev. That morning, an article appeared in The Argus titled: “City Judge Condemns ‘Wife- Beater’ Booze.” In the article, John Hardy, judge at Brighton’s Crown Court, says the following: “there are keywords which recur all too frequently in cases involving young men and alcohol. They are ‘Stella’ and ‘binge drinking’.” You know that Stella, one of InBev’s crown jewels, has faced declining sales in the UK ever since 2003. This article is just the latest example of how Stella has become associated with negative connotations and you fear that this could cause irreparable damage to the brand. You decide to take action and set up a meeting with the management to discuss your perspective and approach to Stella’s increasingly negative reputation.