Wrestling legend needs to convey America again collectively, ‘one beer at a time.’
Actual American Beer is setting its sights on turning into as “large as Bud Mild” by means of a artistic advertising and marketing technique that pays homage to its late founder, Hulk Hogan.
It leans on campaigns like alligator searching and a squad of “Actual American Ladies” to advertise its product. Everybody on the startup, led by former Anheuser-Busch InBev govt Terri Francis, dedicated to this mission. Francis informed FOX Enterprise that it had been Hogan’s dream earlier than his dying in July 2025 at age 71, simply over a 12 months after launching the corporate.
“His objective was that this might be larger than Bud Mild, and… now we now have to hold that out,” mentioned Francis, Actual American Beer’s CEO, including that Hogan needed his beer firm to depart a much bigger legacy than his wrestling profession.
Hulk Hogan’s “Actual American Beer” has hit the cabinets at Walmart lower than a 12 months after launching. (Actual American Beer / Fox Information)
“I really feel a deep duty to hold out what he began,” Francis mentioned.
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Actual American Beer women promote the product at an occasion. (Actual American Beer)
Francis mentioned the corporate has a artistic plan to face out from rivals who she believes have missed the mark on the way to market beer. She mentioned the corporate will not be “pushing a message of beer” however will turn into a part of “moments which might be out of the strange.” It is a nod to Hogan, who she mentioned had a novel skill to excite and energize these round him.
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Actual American Beer goals to set itself aside from rivals by making the beer part of a significant expertise somewhat than specializing in the product itself. It is a tactic, in keeping with Francis, that’s in contrast to most beer advertising and marketing, which facilities on the product itself.
The corporate is deploying a gaggle of “Actual American Ladies” to speak concerning the beer and have interaction with prospects at occasions. As Francis sees it, the corporate is placing a face to a model “in a world the place there are numerous faceless manufacturers.”
Lately, the corporate additionally created a marketing campaign that showcased individuals ingesting Actual American Beer whereas trying to find alligators.
Alligator searching marketing campaign with Actual American Beer. (Actual American Beer)
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The corporate additionally plans to make investments in nation music in addition to broaden its partnership with NASCAR. It additionally created its personal Actual American Freestyle wrestling league with FOX Nation.
Earlier this 12 months, the corporate introduced a multi-year partnership with WWE, underneath which Actual American Beer can be featured throughout WWE’s flagship programming, together with “Monday Night time Uncooked.”
WWE additionally grew to become a minority proprietor within the beer model, which is now offered in 20 states. In April, it secured a cope with Walmart to be in shops throughout eight states: Florida, Illinois, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Actual American Beer women promote the product at an occasion. (Actual American Beer )
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Whereas Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, mentioned any new beer model can be “hard-pressed to catch as much as the dimensions of any of the present premium leaders” akin to Bud Mild and Miller, he believes that “there stays numerous lager-drinking beer shoppers on the market throughout the nation, which to me nonetheless reads as a chance.”
Particularly within the home lager market, which stays big, even grabbing 1% of market share can imply large gross sales, in keeping with Williams. However that also will not be simple. He famous that that is additionally one of many hardest segments to interrupt into, provided that the main manufacturers have the means to stay dominant with large advertising and marketing and distribution energy.
Actual American Beer women promote the product at an occasion. (Actual American Beer)
Williams famous that some regional and heritage manufacturers, like Lone Star, Rainier, Narragansett and Genesee, have managed to construct loyal followings by leaning on authenticity and native delight. That very same attraction is what new labels, like Actual American, are additionally attempting to faucet into, Williams mentioned.
“There are additionally numerous events and shoppers nonetheless up for grabs in the case of new authorized ingesting age shoppers or present drinkers on the lookout for an genuine, high quality model to name their very own,” Williams mentioned. “There are nonetheless loads of alternatives for any new model to seek out success. Reaching scale that rivals a class chief like Bud Mild shouldn’t be a job to be taken flippantly.”
