Global CMO Marcel Marcondes On AB InBev’s “Evolved” Strategy

Marketers need to be humble and remind themselves that as they celebrate the consumers who love their brand, they also must find a way to bring them together, and not push them apart. Marcel Marcondes, Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev makes a crucial point highlighting the larger role that marketing can play for society and the economy.

AB InBev has gone through a sea change in its approach to marketing and if a common thread has to be sought, it would be in finding harmony. Not only does its work look to bring its consumers together but the alcobev company has looked to articulate its brand persona in a manner that is understood across its company.

At The Intersection

“Creativity has to be at the intersection of solving consumer and business problems,” says Marcondes. 

The company’s evolved marketing strategy to grow organically is to lead and grow the category, digitise and monetise its ecosystem and then optimise its business. To support this, it created a marketing structure for growth that takes into account its platforms and its strategic enablers.

“Once the plan is in place, then the creative process must execute the plan. It should be able to harmonise how everyone in the company is talking about creativity. We have to find creativity the right way,” the global CMO advises.

An Award-winning Approach

Training, creating a process, assessment and celebration are the four cornerstones of what has created an award-winning strategy for AB InBev. 

“The most crucial piece is our partners,” Marcondes notes, adding, “They have to be treated as they deserve and we refer to them as our superheroes. They are our elite squad of agencies, our ‘justice league’ as they are the ones making the magic every day.”

While there are several new areas for marketers to play with and AB InBev too put artificial intelligence to use for its Sports Emmy awarded work ‘Michelob Ultra’, which it produced and then broadcasted, Marcondes points out that marketers must not forget the “page one of the book”.

“Don’t forget to do the great work that shows the brand’s distinctiveness,” he says.

Making A Change

To creative leaders across stages, Marcondes’ message is to believe in creativity to drive growth and articulate it in a manner that the company knows how to pursue it. He says, “It takes time to believe and make a change. Our target is focussed on results and results only and that is where we have seen creativity making the biggest difference.”

Some of the work that AB InBev has done in markets such as Brazil and China reflect how the company has upped the ante to not only overcome challenges such as the ban on jersey branding for alcohol brands but also to create a sustainable business.

The result is winning in platforms such as WARC and Effie Awards for two years but also an unprecedented two consecutive years claim on Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year.