Inside AB InBev’s technique shift: From acquisitions to model constructing

Speaking to Kantar’s Anita Watkins on the 20th anniversary of the BrandZ document in New York, the brewer’s world VP of insights and features laid out a transparent problem for entrepreneurs: in the event you don’t perceive the “why” in the back of the information, AI will do your process higher. “The ‘what’ is easy,” he mentioned. “In fact, AI can do the ‘what.’ But it’s our job to understand the ‘why’ – and then decide what to do next. That’s where the value lies.”

This shift in mindset, from reactive reporting to forward-thinking technique, has underpinned a big transformation at AB InBev. Once an organization identified for enlargement thru acquisitions, it has pivoted towards brand-led natural enlargement. That’s pushed a surge in model fairness throughout its world portfolio – maximum significantly for Corona, now the arena’s most respected beer model, and Stella Artois, which Verschoor printed is the quickest riser in the newest BrandZ ratings.

From model consumers to model developers

The transformation began round 2016, when the corporate identified it would now not depend on M&A to gas enlargement. “We had to switch to an organic model,” Verschoor defined. “That meant becoming true brand builders. And to do that, we needed to become deeply consumer-centric.”

Insights become central to the industry, no longer simply as analysis, however as technique. “We moved from being researchers to being growth guides,” he mentioned. “And we had to make insights actionable – building them into the way our brand teams actually work.”

Why proportion of voice is most effective a part of the puzzle

One space the place that considering is enjoying out is in post-campaign research. “You might have all the salience you need, you might be buying a ton of media,” mentioned Verschoor. “But is that really the issue? Maybe you don’t need more share of voice – you need better packaging. Or more product availability. Or more targeted reach. That’s the kind of post-campaign thinking we’re encouraging.”

That mindset is formalised thru a rigorous reporting cadence: inside two days of a quarterly insights drop, Verschoor’s staff delivers an international model energy report back to the C-suite, adopted via a deeper research inside 5. “If we don’t get to the why, all we’re doing is reporting,” he mentioned. “And honestly, that’s not our job – that’s a job for AI.”

Power manufacturers: fewer, larger, higher

Another core technique is what AB InBev calls its “power brand” manner. “We discovered that just five brands make up 94% of category participation in most markets,” Verschoor printed. “And yet we were investing in 300.”

The reaction? Radically streamline. Every marketplace now specializes in simply 3 to 4 precedence manufacturers. “They get the lion’s share of investment – and we measure success not just in overall brand power, but in whether those brands are actually delivering it.”

It’s a technique intently tied to Kantar’s Meaningfully Different Salient (MDS) framework, which AB InBev has embedded deeply throughout its industry. “Our CMO has brand power targets. And for the first time this year, so do our commercial leads,” mentioned Verschoor. “It’s in the language of our business now.”

Salience doesn’t at all times scale (till it does)

Verschoor shared some revealing knowledge insights, in particular round salience and psychological availability. “We’ve found that, in our category, salience grows slowly until a brand hits around 120 on the index,” he mentioned. “Before that, physical availability – packaging, shelf presence – does more of the heavy lifting. But after 120, mental availability takes over. That changes how we think about media spend and ambition.”

That nuance is what makes frameworks like MDS so treasured, he argued – no longer as blunt dimension gear, however as decision-enablers. “It’s not about ‘Are we growing?’ It’s about ‘Why are we growing?’ and ‘How do we grow better?’”

Don’t lose the human within the loop

Despite the surge in knowledge and automation, Verschoor was once fast to suggest for the human part. “In this increasingly tech-enabled world, we’re bringing back analog,” he mentioned. “Every one of our marketing teams is expected to spend time – 50,000 minutes a year, globally – directly with consumers. Sitting with them. Listening. Observing. That’s still where the magic is.”

What comes subsequent

As AI features boost up, Verschoor stays open-minded however wary. “Synthetic data, synthetic audiences – it’s all coming,” he mentioned. “But I’m less interested in predictions and more interested in making sure we’re ready to act on the opportunities we find.”

That’s what makes Kantar’s BrandZ paintings so treasured to the industry, he mentioned. “We’ve been using it for over a decade. It helps us learn faster, speak the same language globally and make better decisions. But it’s only useful if we do something with it.”

The energy of manufacturers, as Verschoor sees it, isn’t simply in measuring what they’re, however in shaping what they turn out to be.