About Our Client
AB InBev (Anheuser-Busch InBev) is the world’s largest brewer and a global leader in the beverage industry, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. Established through a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions, the company boasts a rich history and an extensive portfolio of over 500 iconic beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, and Beck’s, among others. AB InBev operates in more than 150 countries, combining tradition and innovation to produce high-quality beverages that cater to diverse tastes and preferences.
Challenge
The beer market is highly competitive, particularly in Vietnam, where multiple players aggressively invest in trade marketing to acquire and retain customers. However, traditional trade marketing approaches come with several limitations:
- Lack of Real-Time Data: Traditional marketing campaigns rely on delayed sales reports, making it difficult to track real-time consumer preferences and market trends.
- Limited Consumer Insights: Brands struggle to understand the exact consumption habits of their customers, leading to generic marketing strategies rather than personalized engagement.
- Inefficient Trade Promotions: Heavy spending on promotions and incentives does not always translate into increased sales, as tracking their direct impact is challenging.
- Weak Brand Loyalty Among Bartenders: Bartenders play a crucial role in influencing drink choices, but traditional incentives are often inconsistent or difficult to measure.
- Competitive Market Pressure: Rivals invest heavily in marketing, promotions, and incentives, making it crucial for AB InBev to differentiate its approach and maximize its return on investment.
To overcome these challenges, AB InBev sought an innovative solution that would modernize its trade marketing strategy, enhance consumer insights, and drive brand loyalty.
Solution
Kyanon Digital, in collaboration with Wecheer.io, developed the world’s first smart bottle opener, transforming AB InBev’s trade marketing approach by integrating real-time data collection, targeted incentives, and market intelligence.
1. Real-Time Market Intelligence
The smart bottle opener captures detailed data every time a crown-capped bottle is opened—whether it’s AB InBev’s or a competitor’s. This provides real-time insights into:
- Consumer behavior – What brands consumers are choosing and when.
- Market trends – Seasonal and location-based drinking patterns.
- Competitive landscape – Market share insights based on actual consumption, not just sales figures.
With this instant data, AB InBev can make data-driven decisions on promotions, distribution, and inventory management, staying ahead of competitors.
2. Rewarding Bartenders for Brand Engagement
The system incentivizes bartenders by rewarding them for each AB InBev bottle they open. This gamified reward program:
- Encourages bartenders to recommend and serve AB InBev products more frequently.
- Strengthens brand loyalty by creating an ongoing engagement model.
- Increases on-premise sales, as bartenders actively promote AB InBev over competitors.
3. Understanding Consumer Drinking Behavior
The collected data provides in-depth insights into drinking habits, including:
- Who is drinking AB InBev products vs. competitor brands.
- When and where people prefer specific beverages.
- Consumption trends across different demographics and occasions.
With these insights, AB InBev can refine its marketing strategies, personalize promotions, and create targeted campaigns that resonate with consumers.
Results
- 5,000+ smart bottle openers deployed across 1,000+ locations in Southeast Asia and the Americas.
- Cloud-based management platform with real-time analytics for strategic decision-making.
- Increased bartender engagement, leading to higher sales and brand preference.
- The success of the solution led to adoption by other major F&B brands, including Heineken and Coca-Cola.
By leveraging IoT technology and real-time data analytics, AB InBev redefined trade marketing, turning a simple bottle opener into a powerful tool for market intelligence and sales growth.
Technologies and Tools
- Services: Software Development, Mobile App Development, Data Analytics & Visualisation
- Technologies: IoT, Python, React Native, Salesforce Marketing
