Pabst Brewing Co., a 165-year-old brewery and the third-largest beer company in the world, will be sent to market in 2010, at which point the new owners will be the brand’s fans. Two American ad agencies, Forza Migliozzi and The Ad Store, have created the Buy a Beer Company, a site allowing fans of Pabst beers a chance to own a share of the company.
The Buy a Beer Company website asks fans to pledge between $5 and $250,000 each towards acquisition of the company. According to Springwise, once the purchase price of the beer brand is reached, all contributors will get a "a crowdsourced certificate of ownership as well as enough beer to match their pledge."
Crowd-Bought Breweries
Buy a Beer Company Wants Fans to Own Pabst Brewing Co.
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourced Ownership - Opportunity for businesses to leverage the power of crowds to give ownership to their fans and customers.
2. Crowdfunding Beer Companies - Emerging trend of using crowdfunding platforms to raise funds for beer companies, allowing fans to become investors.
3. Fan-driven Ownership - A shift in business models towards allowing fans and consumers to have a stake in the ownership of their favorite brands.
Industry Implications
1. Brewery - Opportunity for breweries to engage with their fans and customers by giving them a chance to own a share of the company.
2. Crowdfunding Platforms - Opportunity for crowdfunding platforms to attract beer companies seeking funding and engage with beer enthusiasts.
3. Advertising Agencies - Opportunity for advertising agencies to create innovative campaigns that allow consumers to have a direct stake in the companies they love.