Keeping within the lines: How brands in regulated industries keep their marketing fresh

This article explores how highly regulated brands can produce interesting, surprising, and fresh marketing ideas despite the many restrictions on what can be shown.

Keeping within the lines: How brands in regulated industries keep their marketing fresh

Matthew Schwartz

The marketing team at Mike's Hard Lemonade was starting to put together ideas for a video to promote the brand's new Hard Watermelon Lemonade. Knowing the video would run on digital media outlets and social media channels during the 2016 Memorial Day weekend, the team wanted to infuse the message with some summer fun — but it proceeded with caution.

Mike's Hard Lemonade contains alcohol, so the brand's marketing and advertising must adhere to certain regulations imposed by the Beer Institute, the trade association of...

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