How do you ensure that you always reach your customers or consumers through the right channel and with the right message? According to Royal Swinkels Family Brewers, among other things, by translating 'gut feelings' into insights based on data. Together with SAP, implementation partner Acorel, and Deloitte, Swinkels created a 360-degree view of the customer.

Swinkels is mainly known in the Netherlands for Bavaria, the beer brand that started it all in 1719. However, the ambition is to offer a suitable beer for every occasion. To achieve this, the family business invested significantly in expanding its portfolio. Brouwerij Palm, Brouwerij Rodenbach, Brouwerij de Molen, Uiltje Brewing Company, and wholesaler Bier&cO were acquired. The Ethiopian market was conquered with the beer brand Habesha, originating from the brewery of the same name in Ethiopia, in which the company from Lieshout holds a majority stake.

As a result of these steps, the portfolio now includes three hundred beers, and the company supplies beverages to more than 120 countries. "To realize our ambition, we must also ensure that we can deliver in every market where we are active. And that we know how to reach customers and consumers in the right way," says John Mouthaan, Head of Digital Marketing & E-Commerce at Swinkels Family Brewers.

Intelligent Brewery

This means, among other things, that Swinkels' eight breweries must be able to produce exactly the right amount at the right time. This is not possible based on assumptions. Decisions in areas such as production must be data-driven.

The internal program 'Intelligent Brewery' aims to provide a better overview of all processes. At a glance, it should be clear, for example, how the purchase of new systems in Lieshout is progressing, how many orders the breweries in Belgium have, how a particular product is selling in Italy or the United States, and how much new staff the brewery in Ethiopia has hired. "This is really about a business transformation that affects all processes," emphasizes Mouthaan.

Multi-Channel Approach

The steps that Mouthaan and his team are taking in the field of digital marketing and e-commerce are part of the Intelligent Brewery program. "For over three hundred years, we have been successful in traditional channels such as retail and hospitality. But consumer behavior is changing. Beer is increasingly being ordered online. To be available and orderable everywhere, you also need to invest in online channels."

"Especially in our core markets of the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, France, and Italy, we therefore adopt a multi-channel approach," continues Swinkels' Head of Digital Marketing & E-Commerce. "These channels are not separate but form an integrated whole. Many consumers view online promotions and create their shopping lists online, only to ultimately shop in the physical world. In that case, these worlds must be aligned."

'Alignment' is a term Mouthaan frequently uses. According to him, it is crucial for a successful multi-channel approach. "For example, the price we ask online should not conflict with the price in other channels. Also, the product presentation should be tailored to the channel. And you must ensure that you always send the right message to the right person at the right time, whether it's a hospitality entrepreneur or an online consumer. For example, there's little point in communicating with a La Trappe fan about Bavaria. The message must be truly relevant."

Platforms, People, and Processes

"To be able to communicate as targeted as possible, the image we have of the customer or consumer must be as complete as possible," says Mouthaan. In recent years, Swinkels has already invested in the platforms necessary for smart data collection. For example, the company uses SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) for reaching customers such as retailers and hospitality entrepreneurs.

However, to collect the right data, it is also important that there is knowledge of the platforms and that processes are in order. According to Mouthaan, there was much to gain in this area. For example, visits to hospitality entrepreneurs and measurements were not systematically recorded or were recorded in various ways. "If you don't know which customers are already selling Cornet but not the 0.0 variant yet, you cannot define targeted actions. By standardizing processes such as recording measurements, you ensure that the data needed for defining actions are available in SAP C4C."

The data in C4C are then sent to SAP Marketing Cloud. Mouthaan: "SAP MC is our central customer and consumer database where marketing areas are defined so that everyone is in the right 'basket.' This enables us, for example, to send highly targeted emails. This way, we can tailor emails or advertising campaigns to hospitality entrepreneurs who have shown interest in a specific Cornet. This makes it easier for account managers to grow the business."

More Consumer Data

Another challenge Mouthaan faced was the limited availability of consumer data. "For consumer marketing, we were too dependent on third-party data sources such as Facebook and Google. However, for targeted and relevant communication, it is important to know the consumer inside out and have the data yourself. This means knowing where the consumer shops."

"We have invested a lot in collecting consumer data. There should always be an incentive for consumers to engage with one of our brands and provide information. The next step is moving towards an omni-contact strategy, approaching customers and consumers in multiple ways. This could be through email, our portal, or even physically on the street."

Full Integration

"SAP, implementation partner Acorel, and Deloitte have shown us how to derive more value from our platforms with the right processes and people," concludes Mouthaan. "It is a journey for us that we are taking step by step." An example of a next step is linking SAP Commerce Cloud to SAP C4C, so that transaction data reaches the correct profiles. Also, integration with SAP Service Cloud is planned. "The ultimate goal is a complete integration of all contacts we have with customers and consumers in one system."

"We are far from where we need to be, but I believe we have achieved a lot," Mouthaan concludes. "We have a considerable number of consumer profiles, allowing us to move from 'instincts' to insights and define actions based on those insights to add extra revenue to the company. Within the company, there is now an awareness that data-driven marketing is essential for success in both hospitality, retail, and online."