That's what they will want you to believe according to their new marketing campaign:

Michelob will spend $30 million next year recasting itself as a member of the craft segment. Michelob’s entire portfolio sold 450 million cases, per IRI, for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 24.

Comparatively, craft category leader Boston Beer last year shipped 49 million cases, per Beer Marketer’s Insights.

Michelob’s “Crafting a better beer” ads will even mimic Boston Beer’s Sam Adams ads.

The reason for their new image?

Case sales of craft beers are up 17.1% at food, drug, liquor and c-stores for the year ended Nov. 3 compared with a 0.08% increase for the overall category.

Y'see, according to the Anheuser-Busch's of the world, it's not that the craft beers are selling a better product. It's just that they're marketed better.

Of course, marketing is the only answer they have at the moment. They can't come out and say the craft beers, on average, are better than the Michelob's and Miller's of the world. If they did they'd immediately give credence to the craft beer industry as being the better quality brands. Then they'd have to change their recipes.

And neither of those things are going to happen. So, instead they get cynical and manipulative, hoping no ones notices that they aren't actually small time brewers.