The Anheuser-Busch Advertising Gauntlet

Step 1. The Advertising Industry Code of Ethical Standards | Go there
First you must pass the Advertising Industry Code of Ethical Standards.
Our advertising agencies, who initiate the advertising concepts and ideas, have their own industry code of ethical standards that they abide by when creating an advertising idea. These agencies also receive a copy of the Brewing Industry Advertising Code and College Marketing Code on a regular basis. Our agencies are expected to create concepts and ideas in full compliance with our codes and guidelines as well as their own ethical standards such as the American Association of Advertising Agencies Creative Code.

Step 2. The Brewing Industry Advertising Code and the Anheuser-Busch College Marketing Code | Go there
The Brewing Industry Advertising Code and the College Marketing Code are next.
Throughout the advertising development process the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code, which reflects federal and state regulations, and the ethical standards it represents are very much our guiding principles. The brewing industry first developed an advertising and marketing code in 1937 and it has been revised and updated as new technologies and issues have emerged. In the early 1990s, Anheuser-Busch also developed a separate code called the College Marketing Code. The College Marketing Code was developed to formalize our long-standing commitment to encourage responsible use of our products and to discourage illegal underage drinking.

Step 3. Storyboard and Script Review | Go there
Next, you'll be reviewed in script or storyboard form by the Marketing Department. Be careful! Even excellent ideas can be thrown out for a wide variety of reasons.
Advertising agency ideas are reviewed in storyboard and/or script form by Anheuser-Busch's internal Marketing Department. Each concept is evaluated against many criteria. Will it appeal to the general public 21 years of age and older, opinion leaders, parents and adult beer drinkers for whom it is intended? Is it entertaining? Does it say the right thing about the brand and company image? The standards of the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code are actively applied again at this early review stage of development.

Step 4. Idea Reviewed by Consumer Awareness & Education | Go there
Then, you will go up against the Consumer Awareness and Education Board. Don't get cocky — this part is tougher than it looks!
   As part of Anheuser-Busch's advertising checks and balances, the Marketing Department will request the Consumer Awareness & Education Department to review proposed Anheuser-Busch product advertisements to determine whether they comply with the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code and the Anheuser-Busch College Marketing Code. Consumer Awareness and Education ensures that the advertising messages adhere to standards of candor and good taste, portray beer responsibly and are directed toward the intended audience — adults of legal purchase and drinking age.
   The Consumer Awareness & Education Department, formed in 1989, focuses on developing and promoting community-based awareness initiatives that translate the message of personal responsibility into action in the home, schools and where alcohol beverages are served and sold.
   Anheuser-Busch's strict internal review of advertising policies and procedures demonstrate the company's long-standing commitment to the responsible advertising of our products and to the self-regulatory process.

Step 5. The Idea Is Then Sent To Legal For Review | Go there
Next, you are sent to the company's legal department to insure that you meet all industry, federal and state laws that govern beer advertising. Yikes!
   All Anheuser-Busch advertising is formally reviewed by the company's Legal Department before it is cleared to air. The Legal Department ensures that all advertising not only complies with the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code, but also pertinent federal (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Federal Trade Commission) and state laws and regulations governing beer advertising and advertising practices.
   Once an advertisement is completed, it is reviewed again by the Legal Department . We believe that we are the only company in the alcohol beverage industry that requires legal review prior to airing all advertisements.
   These various Industry Code check points at critical stages of the Anheuser-Busch ad development process successfully eliminate any ads that may conflict with the Industry Code, the Anheuser-Busch College Marketing Code and federal and state laws and regulations.
   Anheuser-Busch's strict self-regulatory efforts are designed to ensure that our advertising and promotional efforts reach the audience for whom they are intended — adults of legal drinking age.

Step 6. Focus Groups | Go there
You are then presented to focus groups of adult consumers. On average, twenty concepts are reviewed for every one commercial that is actually made. Good luck!
Many times commercials in their storyboard or scripted form are researched via focus groups of the general public 21 years of age and older, opinion leaders, parents and adult beer drinkers to ensure they appeal to the appropriate audience, support the company and brand image and contain no moral or ethical issues.
Focus group review of our advertising ensures that our interpretation and application of the Beer Institute Advertising and Marketing Code is in sync with the standards of the general public 21 years of age and older, opinion leaders, parents and adult beer consumers. Anheuser-Busch focus groups include participants who are carefully screened to ensure that they are 21 years of age and older. On average, some 20 advertising concepts are reviewed with focus groups for every one commercial that is actually produced and aired. It is important to note, however, that focus groups are just one of many tools used by Anheuser-Busch to gather adult consumer reactions to advertising concepts.

Step 7. Television Networks Standards and Practices | Go there
Television network's Standards and Practices departments must also approve you before they'll put you on the air.
The networks thoroughly review every advertisement before approving it to air in order to ensure that the ads comply with their own advertising Network Standards. The four major television networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox) require that all alcohol beverage advertising be reviewed and approved by the individual networks' Standards and Practices Departments prior to airing.
Generally, advertisements are submitted in their finished state one or two weeks prior to their intended air debut for the Network's Standards and Practices review. But when lead time is adequate, we will often request that our advertising agencies submit proposed advertisements in storyboard or script form to Networks for preliminary approval prior to production. If any adjustments are required by the Networks, they can then be made during that phase of production.

Step 8. The Final Arbiter Of Taste: The Adult Consumer | Go there
Congratulations, you made it! You've been approved to go before the American public, your final judge. Even at this point, an ad may be pulled if viewers don't approve.
   Anheuser-Busch advertising is designed to reach adults 21 years of age and older, parents and adult beer drinkers in the most creative and entertaining way possible. Our objective is to maintain our loyal customers and convince those adults who drink beer to choose our brand.
   Advertising development is the final stage of a comprehensive marketing analysis of how to best reach adults of legal purchase age. We begin by identifying those adults who are most likely to purchase Anheuser-Busch products. Next, we determine what their interest preferences are such as sports, music, humor, etc. Our objective is to determine how to best fashion our message to reach this audience in a memorable way. Because the universe of adult beer drinkers is multi-faceted and diverse, we have never relied solely on one type of advertising theme to reach our adult customers. In addition, preferences and attitudes change over time, thus necessitating new and more innovative ways to reach and entertain our customers.
   We not only look for programming that delivers as high of an adult beer drinker audience as possible, we also ensure that the content of the program, regardless of its audience, is appropriate. Anheuser-Busch beer advertising is responsibly placed in media where most of the audience is above the legal purchase age.
   Our final internal and external advertising check and balance are adult consumers. And, many adult consumers say they enjoy our advertising. In fact, Anheuser-Busch's advertisements regularly are among the most popular among adults of all ages, according to the USA Today Ad Track consumer poll.
   Anheuser-Busch encourages feedback from its customers who are of legal purchase age. In addition to the customary methods of communication, we also invite contact through our 1-800-DIAL-BUD consumer hotline.