A-B InBev is "pulling back on advertising" during the pandemic as it rolls out "initiatives aimed at helping consumers navigate the new norms of working from home and social distancing," according to Kristina Monllos of DIGIDAY. The company is "leaning on its owned and earned channels to communicate" those initiatives. Here are some takeaways from Monllos' Q&A with A-B InBev U.S. CMO Marcel Marcondes.
- On how the virus has changed A-B's marketing strategy: "This last couple of weeks have been very intense. We have been re-planning and re-organizing everything to adjust the entire business to the new reality. ... We shifted our sports investment fund from sports because there aren’t sports (going on) anymore to the Red Cross. We’re also bringing together teams and leagues to make more than 20 venues across the country available for the Red Cross to work."
- On adjusting marketing so it remains impactful: "We’re not playing in the advertising mode. We really want to make sure that anything we do and everything we’ve talked about will be extremely relevant for people so that we can add value to their new routines."
- On being "out" of the advertising mode: "We are really thinking organic first. We’re only bringing in paid media when necessary" (DIGIDAY.com, 4/2).
