Saying goodbye to Dos Equis’ ‘most interesting man’

I don’t always pay attention to beer advertisements, but when I do the most interesting man is front and center.

There are four things you should know about me before I continue on with this post: I’m a card-carrying Millennial, I never drink beer, I buy Dos Equis when my beer-loving friends are coming over and I love the most interesting man.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I was disappointed to hear that after a decade of being the iconic face of the brand, Dos Equis’ parent company, Heineken USA, decided the most interesting man must retire so the company can find a new Millennial-friendly spokesman.

During our last meeting, one of my coworkers brought up Heineken’s decision to retire the most interesting man. We couldn’t help but ask the question: What market research did Heineken conduct that showed the need for a new spokesperson?

In a recent New York Post article, “Firing the ‘most interesting man’ means disaster for Dos Equis,” Phillip Wegmann shares why there is no need for a more Millennial-friendly spokesman, pointing to the authenticity that actor Jonathan Goldsmith brings to the advertising campaign. Simply put, Goldsmith was “just a dude with whom you instinctively wanted to grab a beer in real life.”

And this authenticity is so important. Research studies have shown that we are in an era where brand authenticity and the power of the story to build relationships supersedes trendy, premium products such as craft beer – a rising rival of Millennial spend for Dos Equis, as cited by Andrew Katz, marketing executive from Heineken. And research on authenticity aside, it’s hard to forget that the most interesting man has earned the most coveted Millennial stamp of approval – the Internet meme.

So will Millennials (like my beer-loving husband) turn to Dos Equis without the tough, cultured, beard-rocking “most interesting man?” Will this be a mistake for the brand or as Wegmann put it, the end of an “era of sublime advertising?” Only time will tell. Until then, I would love to hear your thoughts on Heineken’s move to retire Goldsmith. Do you agree with the decision or do you think it is a terrible move for the brand?

 

 

from Quirks Marketing Research Review Blog http://ift.tt/1UO9r3G