Oriental Brewery (OB), Korea’s largest beer maker, won the grand prize at the 2021 Korea Brand Awards for its marketing strategy that added sentimental elements to soothe customers hit by the pandemic. The award, overseen by the Korean Marketing Association, recognizes companies that put “consumer value” at the forefront of brand management.

The key to OB’s marketing strategy was “clicking with” consumers, stressed the beer manufacturer. While beer advertisements have traditionally emphasized superficial qualities like “freshness,” OB dug deeper by portraying its brand Cass as a healing source for disheartened souls struggling in the grip of the pandemic. 

For instance, the TV ad “Time to be real,” which features the renewed Cass, chronicles the struggles of finding a job and juggling that with friendship, a subject that appeals to many of the younger generation.

The brewing giant also spearheaded the SSAC Tour, a campaign to support small businesses wrestling with the pandemic-driven economic downturn. By posting real-life stories of struggling retailers on the Cass official Instagram account, the company promoted these eateries, and in turn, OB itself.

Delivering rich consumer experience is another element that underpinned OB’s successful marketing. As people increasingly seek experience above and beyond the product itself, OB has strived to diversify its touchpoint with consumers.

One example is “Frites Artois,” a pop-up restaurant launched in Itaewon last October. Visitors could savor the Stella Artois beer with Belgian French fries, an extra touch that embellishes an otherwise typical night out drinking beer. The company also launched a project that pairs Hanmac, rice-based lager developed to cater to the Korean palate, with Korean dishes to provide an elevated gastronomic experience.

“Our marketing strategy that focuses on experience-based connection allows customers to immerse themselves into the brand itself.” said an OB official.

Staying on top of the latest trend is the last, yet rudimentary foundation of OB‘s marketing strategy.

The company has appealed to millennials and Generation Z, who tend to value transparency in brands, by replacing traditional brown beer bottles with clear glass bottles last March.

Casting trendy figures like actress Youn Yuh-jung for All New Cass and the winning crew of popular TV show “Street Women Fighters” for Budweiser illustrates the extent to which OB has stayed ahead of the curve and embraced the changing consumer landscape.

A recent survey from Nielsen Korea revealed that Cass was the number one beer brand for those drinking alone at home. OB was shown to have a whopping 52.7 percent share in the home beer market, with four of its beer brands -- Cass Fresh, Cass Light, Budweiser and Hoegaarden - ranked among the top ten.

By Ahn Ju-hee (dianahn@heraldcorp.com)