None of beer’s various headwinds – including Tuesday’s tariffs announcement – seemed to dampen Constellation Brands’ spirits this week in Orlando, Florida, during the beer giant’s annual Gold Network Summit with distributor partners.
“Our portfolio, along with you, the entire Gold Network, continues to be the rays of sunlight cutting through the storm clouds, the growth driver of the industry,” chief customer officer Bill Renspie told attendees. “We’re going to safely navigate the current stormy seas and continue to chart the right course to sustainable profitable growth and industry stability.”
Those stormy seas include a -10% decline in total beer volume, or a loss of -296 million cases, in the past three years, Renspie shared. However, in the same period, Constellation’s beer portfolio – including Mexican import brands Modelo, Corona, Pacifico and Victoria – has increased volume +23.4%, or +84 million cases in incremental growth, and has gained more than 1 point of beer category share every year in the three-year period, for a total gain of +4.1 share points, according to Renspie.
“The industry is facing ominous, stormy conditions, but we can’t allow the current climate to obscure this wave of growth that continues despite the storms above, and that rate of growth is entirely in Constellation’s portfolio,” Renspie said. “And we all collectively have to chart the right course to continue growth into the bright horizons.”
The key to Constellation’s growth has been its “authentic” and “consistent” lineup, leadership emphasized throughout the event.
“We’re not a company that switches campaigns every year, that swings from one idea to the next because of fads or stunts or gimmicks,” beer brands EVP and managing director Mallika Monteiro said. “We do continue to refine our campaigns to stay relevant and effective, but we do so carefully and thoughtfully without forgetting what our brands stand for.”
“We don’t need to create any new problems for ourselves within the industry,” beer division EVP and president Jim Sabia added. “We don’t need to debate terminology or seek to divide ourselves by labels. We need to fight for this business.”
Although Sabia did not reference specific terminology debates, his comments come less than a month after Anheuser-Busch InBev U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth made a public call for “domestic” beer to be reclassified as “American” beer. Industry responses have varied.
Modelo Especial No. 1 Priority
The captain of Constellation’s ship continues to be Modelo Especial, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
Modelo Especial became the largest beer brand by dollar sales in Circana-tracked off-premise channels last year, recording its 33rd consecutive year of growth in 2024. “Continuing the health” of Modelo is Constellation Brands’ No. 1 priority in 2025, Modelo VP of brand marketing, Logan Jensen shared on stage.
Modelo was the No. 1 beer brand in c-stores – a “critical channel” for beer – and No. 3 in grocery in 2024, up from No. 5 in the previous year, Jensen said. The Mexican import was also the No. 1 growth driver and share gainer in the on-premise, with keg depletions increasing +24% in the last 12 months, according to Jensen.
“What Modelo delivers for our drinkers is a sense of pride,” Jensen said. “Consumers feel proud to hold a Modelo. To them, it’s a badge of honor, a reward for everything they’ve worked for. This feeling goes even deeper when we talk to our Mexican Hispanic consumers. They tell us of the overwhelming pride they have in this brand.
“Modelo’s growth in the U.S. mirrors the rise and influence of their culture in America today, reflecting both their heritage as well as what they’re striving for,” she continued. “We aim to reinforce this sense of pride through every consumer touch point along their path to purchase. And as we look towards what’s next on the horizon, we have an ambitious goal to become the No. 1 brand family in the category.”
Modelo still has a significant runway for growth, Jensen said. While the brand had the largest dollar share of beer in eight states in 2024 – including California and Texas, the two largest states by annual beer output – there are 16 states where Modelo does not rank among the top five, and three states where it does not crack the top 10.
To support continued growth, Constellation is increasing its marketing spend with three investment pillars: sports, digital and social media and core Hispanic consumers.
Constellation is “going all-in” on sports programming, including March Madness, the National Football League, College Football Playoffs and professional soccer.
Constellation is particularly focused on the latter two. Its investment in college sports programming is increasing +63% in 2025, with some of that investment supporting the expanded presence of The Recruiter, the gruff-looking, cowboy hat-wearing Modelo mascot who Constellation introduced in 2024 as a recruiter for passionate college football – and Modelo – fans.
For soccer, Constellation is increasing its media spend +48% in an attempt to make Modelo “The Cerveza for Fútbol” and will release two new ad spots around the campaign, encouraging consumers who want to learn about the passion of soccer to “ask the fans with a Modelo.” The two spots will also air in Spanish language versions voiced by legendary soccer broadcasters Perro Bermudez and Luis Omar Tapia.
Constellation is also continuing Modelo’s partnership with Edson Álvarez, a professional soccer player for West Ham United and captain of the Mexico national team, and expanding its partnership with the clothing brand Kappa.
Additionally, Modelo is an official sponsor of the 2025 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup, a biennial tournament taking place this summer. Modelo will have in-game integration, on-site activations as well as a Mark of a Fighter award for each match, and will host a trophy tour.
Modelo will also release three new ads as part of its Mark of a Fighter campaign – “Cater Crew,” “Social Club” and “Mijo” – each highlighting people connecting with their community and celebrating with Modelo.
The new spots will launch ahead of March Madness, with Modelo also increasing its media investment in college basketball +48% year-over-year (YoY).
Beyond supporting Modelo Especial, Constellation has two other priorities for the Modelo brand family in 2025: “Supercharging” Chelada and “building new pockets of growth with innovation” via Oro and Aguas Frescas.
Modelo Cheladas contributed 72% of total michelada dollar sales in c-stores in 2024, with the brand extension’s dollar sales increasing +7% YoY. The brand family’s lead flavor, Limon y Sal, increased dollar sales +16% in 2024, and generated more dollar sales than Anheuser-Busch InBev’s entire Bud Light Chelada family, according to Jensen.
For 2025, Constellation is continuing Chelada’s “Bring the Sabor” campaign, launched in 2024, and expanding its social and digital spend and presence, with the company’s 2025 investment in the brand family increasing +75% versus two years ago.
Increased spend for Chelada will be spread across both English language media “to drive awareness with the general market,” and Spanish language media, with spend on the latter increasing +36%.
Modelo Oro, the brand’s light beer extension, will receive new “optimized” packaging, as well as the addition of bottled 12-packs.
“Light beer remains a massive part of the category, but has also seen significant volume fallout,” Jensen said. “We’re already well-poised to capture many of these drinkers on occasion with Modelo Especial, as it’s an easy drinking premium alternative. However, many light beer drinkers still want light beer function, but crave higher quality and badge value.”
Modelo Oro will also receive year-round media support and increased investment in trade marketing, as well as expansion of its “You Found Gold” campaign, which shows Modelo Oro as a glowing gold beam in a sea of familiar-looking other light lager options on the cold box and on shelves.
In beyond beer, Constellation is focused on its flavored malt beverage (FMB) extension Modelo Aguas Frescas, which launched in Las Vegas in 2023 and added regional markets in 2024. The non-carbonated FMB’s variety pack will expand nationally in 2025.
“We have taken a disciplined, test-and-learn approach to expanding regionally, but in 2025, we are going all in behind this platform as we expand our variety pack nationally,” Jensen said.
Aguas Frescas will also see increased media spend, with expanded general market media, the addition of Spanish language advertising for the first time and a +127% increase in social media investment.
“Establishing a strong Hispanic consumer base is a key element of our media plan, building momentum with those who are already more familiar with traditional Aguas Frescas,” Jensen said.
The Hispanic consumer is “critical” to the growth of Constellation’s entire portfolio, Sabia added in his own remarks.
“The Hispanic consumer is critical to our success, but beyond their spending power, we have something no one else has: their loyalty. Hispanic consumers are proud of their brands and the success we’ve had in this country.”
Constellation has “seen the greatest increase in loyalty among Hispanics,” according to Sabia. Hispanic loyalty to Constellation’s brands has increased +18% since 2020, “the largest, highest loyalty of any supplier, at 41%.”
That loyalty is especially valuable as Constellation’s competitors have vocalized their desires to attract the valuable demographic.
“While competitors say they’re focusing on the Hispanic consumer, that may be true, but is the Hispanic consumer focused on them?” Sabia asked. “The data would show otherwise, but the top supplier’s loyalty within this group is down -10% during the same time period.”
Look for further coverage of the Gold Network Summit, including Constellation’s plans for Corona, Pacifico and Victoria.