BEER, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT
NZ Marketing caught up for cold one with DB Breweries Marketing Director Jo Mitchell, as she launches elegant new alcoholic beverage brand Club Setter.
Club Setter is New Zealand’s response to the growing global seltzer trend, with the category rapidly accelerating in growth over the last five years. In the US alone, the seltzer category is estimated to reach US$4.5 billion in 2020, almost tripling in value, with a predicted 270 percent increase from 2019.
YOU HAVEN’T BEEN AT DB FOR LONG – WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE SO FAR?
Fast! There’s a great team of people at DB and we’re lucky to have an incredible portfolio of world-famous brands. It’s a different industry from my last role, but I see it as an awesome opportunity to learn about a new category and business model, and share great marketing with Kiwis across our local and global brands.
ARE YOU A BEER DRINKER?
Yes, I enjoy a beverage. I’m not loyal to beer, though, and enjoy trying new styles and types of drinks – all in moderation, of course. I have a wide repertoire depending on who I’m with and the occasion. In the past few months, I’ve been enjoying trying new styles of beer and beverages from our portfolio, and exploring some great new styles from our craft brands. I’m no expert and
I have a lot to learn!
HOW HAS YOUR PRIOR EXPERIENCE PREPARED YOU FOR THIS ROLE?
My time at Mcdonald’s definitely defined my marketing career, but I’ve spent more time in FMCG and working across beverage and food businesses. I had the privilege of working across a number of great beverage brands both here in New Zealand and in the UK. In New Zealand, I spent time at Frucor, Fonterra and Charlie’s, and in the UK with Kraft Foods, working on the coffee portfolio, so the move to DB Breweries was a natural step.
Being in marketing, your skills are transferable across categories – that’s what makes our roles so unique and amazing. I believe it’s important to start your understanding of any category and/or brands you’re responsible for with a rich understanding of the consumer. Once you truly understand how consumers engage and interact with the category, the opportunities become clear.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF LAUNCHING A NEW SEGMENT IN A CATEGORY?
Marketing in any category is often charged with driving growth, which is essentially finding new ways to engage consumers with your brands so they’ll choose your products over competitor products. Unlocking the consumer insights that result in true innovation and new category opportunities is a marketer’s dream. That’s the white space. It requires an innovative culture in your organisation, and we’re lucky to have that at DB. When launching new innovations, you must start with a clear strategy, but you also need to be prepared to test and tweak along the way, with great insight to guide those turns.
HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES WITH THE LAUNCH OF CLUB SETTER?
New Zealand’s home to some of the world’s most creative brewers, resulting in a diverse range of liquids on the market. Beer seltzer is an exciting addition to the category and was developed by listening to our consumers to stay on top of their changing tastes and preferences. As the market leaders in this category, we know we have a job to do to continue educating Kiwis about the new products and new beverage options for them.
HOW ARE YOU LOOKING TO GROW THIS MARKET?
With a strong history in innovation and fronting consumer trends, we’re really proud to be driving the beer category forward with the launch of our new beer seltzer products. Our company purpose is to brew a better New Zealand for people, for the planet and of course for our business. We know that in order to succeed, we need to live our values and embody our passion for quality, enjoyment of life, and respect for people and planet. Innovation through beer seltzers is a project that touches on many of our values, and we believe it’s a real growth opportunity in New Zealand.