Thwaites
For every £1 spent with us, Thwaites made £27
STRATEGY:
In the hard-fought Free Trade sector, Thwaites were up against the likes of John Smiths, Stella Artois and Carlsberg Export. A David vs Goliath battle of the budgets.​
We looked for any weaknesses to exploit... At the time, there were several brands boasting 'Continental' credentials.
In fact, Carlsberg 'Export' was at the time brewed in Northampton. Stella Artois was brewed in Salmesbury - just down the road from the Thwaites HQ in Blackburn...
Thwaites's premium lager Warsteiner was brewed in Germany.
Their session lager, Kaltenberg was brewed in Bavaria.
So we leaned into that.
At the time there was an increasing consumer appetite for genuine authetic experiences driven by the budget airlines Easyjet and Ryanair. (Basically you could have a weekend away in a European City for almost the same cost as the UK.)
Thwaites Smooth, the nitro flushed session bitter, had little to commend it, but neither did John Smiths. So whilst they had Peter Kay and TV Spots - we recruited David Dickinson.
We knew he posessed the 'Marmite Effect' that would create conversations at bars all over the UK. And it worked. No costly TV spots - just POS and merchandising teams to welcome new free trade stockists.
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We did something different for the Licensees too... The Free Trade was like the wild west. Portly men in ill fitting suits roamed the land with boots full of swag. "If you take my lager, I'll give you staff uniforms, garden umbrellas and a £20 a barrel discount."
Which is nice, until the next guy arrives with Neon Signs, better uniforms and £30 a barrel discount...
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So we Zigged whist the free trade Zagged. We focused on giving the Free Trade Licensees tools to make more money: In the shape of kitted activities, promotional support and advice and ways to extend the drinking visit.
This meant more than any branded merchandise could ever mean.
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THE RESULTS
Thwaites Smooth sold over 100 million pints, knocking John Smiths out of hundredsds of free trade accounts.
Kaltenberg Hell beat its year one sales forecast by 40%.
Warsteiner and Kaltenberg advertising created an increased demand for pure, imported beers.
For every £1 that Thwaites spent with us on marketing, they made £27.​
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