Brand's values and culture can help IPs stand out from competition: Ankit Kataria, Budweiser

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | May 2, 2023 | Interview

Budweiser AB InBev Ankit Kataria

Budweiser is a beverage brand with offerings like Budweiser 0.0, Budweiser Beats (our energy drink), among others and young audiences are connecting with the brand on a daily basis. The most prominent reason for the same is that the brand hasn’t just supported music and dance festival properties by sponsoring, but actually worked towards shaping the electronic music space in India. 

In an exclusive interaction with EVENTFAQS Media, Ankit Kataria, Director Marketing - AB InBev shares insights on Budweiser's role in shaping culture, art, and music in India, thoughts on developing branded IPs, providing a platform for new talent, supporting budding artists across genres, recent initiatives planned through Budweiser, evolving consumer experiences and more. 

Share insight on how Budweiser plays a pivotal role in shaping the fabric of culture, art, and music in India? 

Budweiser believes in building authentic connections with consumers through shared passions. Our purpose, “Budweiser energizes you to seize opportunity”, allows us to constantly innovate, create high-energy moments and unparalleled experiences for our consumers. To bring this alive, we collaborate with artists, influencers, and athletes who echo similar brand values and curate distinct campaigns, initiatives, and events to celebrate shared passions. 

A key aspect to building this connection has been identifying and being present in the right moments, those that truly matter to our consumers, across our shared passion points. Understanding our consumers and relying on insights, staying agile and executing with quality have been central to our strategy and this has helped strike long-standing partnerships. 

With consumer interests at the heart of everything we do, we are constantly on the lookout to partner with and provide a platform for upcoming artists, influencers, creators and athletes that aid us in standing out from the rest and increasing consumer loyalty and love. We continue to strengthen our roots in the art, music, fashion, pop culture and sports space through our distinct partnerships with marquee festivals, events, and IPs. 

Over the years, we have played an integral role in shaping the music culture and especially electronic music culture which has taken the world by storm. Our objective is to nurture electronic music culture in India by not only bringing never-before-seen global music properties but also curating multiple homegrown music platforms. We are present where our consumers are, from internationally acclaimed music festivals like Lollapalooza to melting pots of culture like the recently concluded HGStreet festival. Some of our other prominent associations include Supersonic, DGTL, Magnetic Fields, Echoes of Earth, BUDX. Our consistent efforts over the years has made the brand synonymous with high-energy nightlife in India. 

What are your thoughts on developing branded IPs?

Building lasting partnerships and iconic, differentiated branded IPs is no easy task in today’s times when experiences are dominated by technology and businesses operate in a fiercely competitive environment. However, developing a cutting-edge IP that resonates with the brand's values and culture can help one stand out from competition, increase customer touchpoints, and establish a more authentic connection with the audience. Additionally, this helps brands foster genuine engagement with customers, increasing brand affinity and loyalty. 

Alcobev, and especially beer, is a low involvement category, with potentially high consumer loyalty. Until you reach a restaurant or a shop, you don't think about what you are going to drink. But when the consumer reaches the moment of consumption, it’s when he/she builds the right associations, memory structures & brand connect. It typically takes a consumer 4-6 trials to form an affinity or opinion of the product. Music festivals & events allow for multiple trials and help us showcase the brands in the right manner, on the right occasion to build the right memory structures.

Experiential marketing has gained significant popularity in recent years globally, and India is no exception. While XM is gaining traction now with brands seeing incredible value in connecting with consumers through memorable, on-ground occasions, Budweiser has always been big on experiences, globally and in India, with marquee, first-of its-kind properties like BUDX.

Our focus at Budweiser has been on consistently curating distinctive and dynamic experiences for our brand through on-ground activations, artist collaborations, festival partnerships, and global campaigns. In India, we take great pride in curating intellectual properties in line with emerging consumer preferences and trends in mind. In 2017, we introduced BUDX, our global electronic music lab, to India. In 2019, we scaled it up with BUDX Mumbai, which aimed to collaborate and empower upcoming artists while featuring a blend of emerging and established talents from both national and international scenes. 

Over the years, our brand has brought the international world of music to India through collaborations with global music entities. We have activated much-loved properties like Mixmag, DGTL, Road to Ultra and Boiler Room across cities, enriching the Indian music scene with diverse and exciting acts. As a brand that is synonymous to shaping the music scene for millennials and Gen Zs we also partnered with Lollapalooza for its debut in India, and we continued our long-standing association with VH1 Supersonic for its comeback after the pandemic.

Tell us about how Budweiser as a brand is providing a platform for new talent and supporting budding artists across genres? 

Over the years, Budweiser has become synonymous with culture and creating celebratory experiences that are a class apart. For us, a key focus area is to shine a spotlight on new and upcoming artists, creators across genres. We believe in partnering with creators who are driven by passion and resonate with the brand’s value and ethos. 

At Budweiser, we have a strong commitment to promote emerging artists and support diverse genres. We recognized the potential of hip-hop early on and collaborated with DIVINE to explore the genre's potential. In 2022, we partnered with Siddhant Chaturvedi for our Budweiser 0.0 #MadeOverNights Campaign that reinforced the belief that kings are made over nights, not overnight, through persistence and hard work.

We have also collaborated with well-known names like Santanu Hazarika, KissNuka, and Masaba Gupta more recently to bring to life our global FIFA 2022 campaign, #YoursToTake, in India.

Our commitment to supporting artists extends beyond collaborations to our marquee festivals, including Lollapalooza, VH1 Supersonic, DGTL, Echoes of the Earth, and Magnetic Fields, among others. We provide a platform for both established and emerging artists to showcase their talents. At Lollapalooza, we hosted a group of over 40 creators from the industry to celebrate the brand together. 

In the coming years, we will continue to collaborate with more disruptors in the music and culture space and provide artists with a platform to grow and become achievers of tomorrow

What other initiatives are planned through Budweiser that will bring about collaborations and opportunities in the larger experiential events?

The dawn of 2023 saw Budweiser bring the first native edition of the Global Music Festival - Lollapalooza to India, which garnered massive conversation from cultural leaders and enthusiasts and 1 mn+ engagements on social media.

With just four months into the year, we have already wrapped up collaborations with Vh1Supersonic, Road to Ultra and HG Street, to name a few. 

Looking forward into the year, we plan on continuing our partnership with music IPs like - DGTL, Echoes of the Earth, and Magnetic Fields. Additionally, the latter half of the year has in store some interesting campaigns including a global music campaign wherein we will continue to onboard partners and creators who align with the brand ethos.

Brand’s take on how the consumers are evolving in their consumption of new experiences?

The post-pandemic era observed a paradigm shift in behavioral and consumption patterns. For us to stay ahead of the curve, it is imperative to observe how consumers are evolving in their consumption of new experiences. At Budweiser we look at factors like novelty, immersivity, personalization and innovation to be key areas of interest when curating or even outlining new offerings for our consumer base. This makes it critical for us to adapt to potential trends, operate with agility and moreover, have our ear to the ground to continue to stay relevant in the market.

To further elevate everyday experiences, we are witnessing a fleeting movement of customers from core to premium segments.  As a result of this, brands across industries are exploring avenues to add meaningful extensions to their respective portfolios and curate premium and exclusive experiences to engage with consumers. 

Brands are recognizing the importance of creating experiences that are not only enjoyable but also meaningful and purposeful. This includes efforts to promote sustainability, diversity, and social responsibility, as consumers increasingly expect brands to be accountable for their impact on society and the environment. Additionally, as a brand well-entrenched in the festival space we have analyzed how festival goers today are becoming environmentally conscious each day, engaging with events that are prioritizing sustainability. Cognizant of this trend, Budweiser is collaborating with music fests that resonate with the brand’s ideology and sustainability beliefs. In 2022, we partnered with the Echoes of Earth music fest and introduced a solar power bar to showcase our commitment to a sustainable future.

To ensure we continue to deliver one-of-a-kind experiences, teams across Budweiser are focusing on innovation and purpose. We closely monitor consumer sentiment to ensure we are providing our patrons with experiences that resonate closely with them. This not only helps in driving engagement and growth but also aids in building long-term loyalty with our audience base.