Maarten Albarda, vp of global consumer connections at Anheuser-Busch InBev gave a fantastic interview where he clearly and succinctly outlined what digital and social does for the business, how it approaches consumer engagement and finally, the measurement conundrum. The highlights are worth sharing here:
Core beliefs:
One of our fundamental beliefs is that the consumer is the boss. Consumer centricity is at the base of all we do.
A compelling vision:
Fans First is our mantra. Our vision in digital is to create the most celebrated, shared and talked-about beer brands in the world, and with a fan base of over 30 million across all our brands, we are well on our way. Our priorities are, however, not so much focused on the absolute number of fans but on growing in a relevant way with people who are truly interested and engaged
Succinct strategy:
Our strategy is called “Fans First,” and as a result, we have connected with over 30 million fans worldwide through a variety of digital platforms like Facebook, YouTube, RenRen and VKontakte.
On measurement
We measure ROI against a variety of key performance indicators, and we are now in a situation where we understand the relative dollar contribution of each touch point and can determine which mix of connections will yield the best result.
One of our roles as agencies to become trusted advisors to our clients and ensure that every organisation can verbalise these essential beliefs and directions.
Disclosure – Budweiser is a DDB and Tribal DDB client.
