The White Girl Rosé Story

Two weeks ago, I wrote an overview article on the beauty of summer Rosé. This week, I’d like to share a more targeted, very interesting Rosé story: Anheuser-Busch’s purchase of Babe Wine, the Millennial-focused company famous for White Girl Rosé. Thank you to businessinsider.com and brewbound.com for their help with this article.

The History of Babe Wine and White Girl Rosé

Babe Wine, formerly called Swish Beverages, was co-founded by a bunch of social media bigwigs, including Josh Ostrovsky, known widely by his handle “The Fat Jewish.” Ostrovsky has 10 million followers on Instagram! He posts a mix of viral videos, trending memes and half-naked photos of himself. The founders are seriously into social media. Their Twitter handle is “White Girl Problems.” Ostrovsky says that much of the company’s success is due to their ability to speak the language of Millennials. He says they have a focus group that they talk to, believe it or not, on a daily basis.

Why Is Anheuser-Busch Buying Them?

According to businessinsider.com, Anheuser-Busch is betting on the power of social media and the appeal of canned rosé to younger consumers. “Babe Wine’s aesthetically pleasing, Instagrammable cans have been boosted by the popularity of The Fat Jewish’s Instagram page, as well as endorsements by the Emily Ratajkowski, the brand’s so-called chief taste officer.”

Four-packs of the Babe product line sells for a suggested retail price of between $11.99 and $13.99.

What else Is Anheuser-Busch Doing in the Wine World?

Anheuser-Busch is testing a “Saturday Session” wine product that checks in at 5.5 percent ABV and 100 calories, as well as a line of gluten-free, 100-calorie “b” beverages that check in at 3.5 percent ABV and are made with water, honey and fruit.

Closing Up

As a marketer, I love this story about very targeted product marketing. I wish Anheuser-Busch and the founders, who will continue to run the business, tremendous success with their endeavors.

If you or your kids have tried any Babe Wine products, including White Girl Rosé, please share your experiences here. In particular, I’d love to know how White Girl Rosé compares to Sutter Home White Zinfandel, the first wine many of us fell in love with. If it’s quite different from that, and more like the Rosés we adults enjoy, I’d love to hear about that. Thanks.