In-Depth
World Congress 2020: Nick Kelly
Vice President, Partnerships, Beer Culture and Community, Anheuser-Busch InBev
On how the brand is communicating with properties and partners during this time:
KellyAnheuser-Busch
We just want to hear the kind of types of conversations that are happening on your side. We want to honestly hear the impacts that are happening on your side of the business, because, well, we don’t know yet. We may not know for months what the impact is for our overall business, but you guys are able to figure that out right now. And I think that we just want to be able to, one, help you if there’s a way for us to help you. And then the other part is just to be able to empathize with what you guys are going through, so we’re not asking you a hundred questions or we’re not putting you in a position to prioritize us over something that’s far more important.
On the brand’s thinking about marketing approach and spending:
We’re actually just waiting to figure out when the right time is to re-enter the conversation. Most of our brands don’t take themselves too seriously, so it’s figuring out what is the right time to provide a level of levity, of fun, of poking fun of being stuck in the house, of providing value through entertainment, or looking forward to when we get back. I can’t wait to go to a baseball game or go to a summer concert series. We’re just trying to figure out when the right time is. … It becomes very much of picking the right moment for us to jump in and have that conversation; it’s just not today.
On where the brand will be active in the future:
Everybody’s going to be coming out of the gate on our side trying to gain back the volume they lost. And I think that this is going to be the case for the beverage industry as a whole — spirits, soft drinks, water, you name it. The biggest piece for us is that every event is important, because every event has an opportunity for us to connect with somebody who is just looking for a release, so it was not picking and choosing what is the most attractive as it relates to big buzz, but it’s what’s the most attractive as it relates to reaching consumers.
On the role of sports:
We hope that people start coming out to a game and in the summertime with their friends and they have a beer and they enjoy a Sunday afternoon baseball game, or they’re enjoying the NBA Finals. I think we want to be there to help them celebrate and getting back to normalcy, and fortunately we’re one of those products you can. So, we’re excited about the opportunity to get back to normal.
