I know that I regularly drink Sapporo at the sushi bar — and nowhere else. Now Sapporo is plotting its escape from the sushi bar:
For most of its three decades in the U.S., Sapporo has been sold almost exclusively in foodservice settings. About 70% of the brand’s 2.4 million annual cases are distributed on premises, and about 80% of those locations are Asian-themed restaurants. (Grocery and liquor stores make up the balance of total sales.)But that’s slowly changing, said Sapporo USA marketing chief Frank Pronio. Last year, as Sapporo began to use hip-hop fashion tie-ins to gain broader acceptance, its distribution widened, and total sales rose by about 15%, Mr. Pronio said. The brand’s slim budget limits its marketing activity to events and some in-house print and out-of-home ads.
The brewer has conducted events featuring fashion designers such as Zac Posen and hip-hop artists such as Common. A recent fashion event positioned the beer as an urban lifestyle brand featured on sneakers from Jhung Yuro, a bikini designed by Jungle Gurl, caps from New Era and even in a snazzy four-can pack from Zero Halliburton.