Hard Seltzer Report: A-B’s Cacti Claims 3 Share of Seltzer in 1 Week; White Claw Launches Campaign

Cacti Posts Highest Rate of Sale of Any A-B Seltzer Variety Pack

Anheuser-Busch touted the successful first-week performance of its hard seltzer collaboration with rap star Travis Scott, Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer, which sold out in many brick-and-mortar stores within 24 hours and online within 12 hours.

Cacti, which launched nationwide on March 15, posted the highest rate of sale in its debut week of any A-B seltzer variety pack in history, the world’s largest beer manufacturer said, citing IRI multi-outlet and convenience store data for the week ensign March 21. In just one week, the variety pack posted nearly $3.5 million in sales in off-premise retailers, the firm reported.

The company added that Cacti’s first week rate of sale outpaced competing brands, including Truly’s Lemonade mixed pack (IRI MULC w/e 1/12/20), Vizzy’s variety pack (IRI MULC w/e 4/12/20), and Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer variety pack (IRI MULC w/e 2/7/21), among others.

The first-week sales pushed Cacti into the top five seltzers with a 3.2% share of the segment and propelled A-B’s overall share of the segment to 19.5%, up from 16.3%, according to IRI data.

A-B reported that within retailers, Cacti held “nearly 19% share at one of the biggest wine and alcohol retailers across the nation as well as a 11% share at one of the nation’s largest convenience stores. Regionally, CACTI has a share of over 10% in one of Texas’ biggest grocery chains.”

In its first week, Cacti held an 8.8% share of the seltzer segment in California, a 5.3% share in Arizona, a 5.2% share in Texas, a 4.2% share in Oregon and a 4.1% share in Washington, A-B said, citing IRI data.

“The reaction to the product has the team and I motivated to go even harder as we plan out what’s next for the brand,” Scott said in a release. “We are just getting started.”

Cacti is sold in 9-count variety packs of three flavors (Lime, Strawberry, and Pineapple), as well as 16 and 25 oz. single-serves of Lime and Pineapple.

Mark Anthony Brands Launches ‘Let’s White Claw’ Campaign

Mark Anthony Brands is launching a 360 global marketing campaign called “Let’s White Claw” to promote the brand’s philosophy of “pure, uncomplicated fun.”

The ad campaign, which was inspired by user-generated content, will be supported across digital, paid media and PR throughout the year. The company will also enlist “a diverse group of creators to capture unscripted moments of in-the-moment White Claw-inspired content.”

“Let’s White Claw was inspired by the love our fans have for the brand. It is a celebration of that feeling of pure uncomplicated fun that White Claw enables,” White Claw chief marketing officer John Shea said in a press release. “Let’s White Claw is about freedom and connecting. When the question is ‘Should we?’ our answer is always ‘Let’s.’”

The company said the campaign will star “real people, in real locations. All elements of the campaign, down to bespoke music by up-and-coming artists, were created specifically to match the feeling in each piece of content.”

White Claw launched an iced tea line extension this spring.

Year-to-date through March 21, the White Claw brand family has posted more than $367.2 million in off-premise sales, an increase of 27.5%, according to market research firm IRI. Those numbers are beginning to cycle the March 2020 stock up period of the pandemic.