INTERVIEW OB to offer special experience with 'Hanmac'
Oriental Brewery Marketing Vice President Alexander Lambrecht talks during an interview with The Korea Times at Belgian restaurant Frites Artois in Hannam, Seoul, on Nov. 1. Courtesy of OB
By Kim Jae-heun
COVID-19 has impacted various economic sectors, and the beer market is definitely one that has been affected severely, as restaurants, bars and nightclubs were all forced to close down at night for almost the last two years.
The country's largest beer-maker, Oriental Brewery (OB), came up with a number of countermeasures to cope with the pandemic. It expanded domestic market sales targeting consumers who enjoy a drink alone at home, while diversifying the variety of alcoholic beverages to satisfy different preferences.
At the forefront of this scheme, OB Marketing Vice President Alexander Lambrecht said no major changes in marketing are scheduled for the near future and his company will continue doing what it is doing now.
“The marketing process is always the same. It is only the solution that is different. AB InBev (parent company of OB) has been moving towards carrying out experience-based marketing here by collaborating on our premium beer with local restaurants. Meanwhile, we also introduced the Korean lager beer Hanmac, which is made of rice that goes well with Korean cuisine,” Lambrecht said during an interview with The Korea Times at Frites Artois in Seoul, on Nov. 1.
The vice president said what OB is doing now had all been planned out before the pandemic began. As the beer market develops in each country, breweries have to offer a variety of alcoholic beverage options that fit individual tastes.
Belgian restaurant Frites Artois in Hannam, Seoul / Courtesy of OB
Korea has displayed significant growth in premium and craft beer market over the last five years. These days, non-alcoholic beer is gaining unexpected popularity as more people care about their health.
Lambrecht said it is a significant sign that the Korean beer market is maturing.
“It is about developing more variety of beer products here. We do a lot of consumer research on a weekly basis. We study not only what people prefer, but also why they prefer certain products. That is why we develop craft beer. The younger generation wants something more special, more flavorful and more premium,” Lambrecht said.
This is why OB has launched Hanmac along with Stella Artois, a Belgian product that has been well-received in the premium beer market here.
“Belgian beer is more bitter than Korean beer, but not as much as German beer. Here in Korea, many people drink beer with food, so Stella Artois is preferred over German products. At the same time, we want to offer the next level of local beer that will match Korean food best, like Hanmac,” Lambrecht said.
OB plans to collaborate its Hanmac with local restaurants to pair its new rice beer with local food. Korea started shifting to a “Living with COVID-19” scheme earlier this week and Lambrecht believes this is the time to offer customers a special experience with Hanmac.
“One thing we see around the world during COVID-19 is that the trend has only accelerated. It took two years for a beer market to mature that would've taken 10 years if it had not been for the pandemic. If we look at the e-commerce scene here, it grew explosively recently. Our home- based sales rose high steeply and our non-alcoholic beer market became significant. Of course, we expect to see a resurgence in the number of people coming back out onto the streets and enjoying the nightlife,” Lambrecht said.
Lambrecht came to Korea in January. He has built his career in marketing for the past 15 years in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, China and Europe. Before coming to AB InBev, he worked at Unilever as a brand manager in Belgium.
He develops and implements various strategies to create consumer experiences by utilizing up-to-date analysis and data. He has been leading brand growth in the dynamically changing beer market based on an understanding of consumer insights and constant brand innovation.
Lambrecht has also been reorganizing brand categories within AB InBev based on his agility, determination and teamwork, and has improved the technological innovation of several products. He values keeping pace with cultural trends in local regions while referring to global success cases for goal-oriented initiatives.
“I am obsessed with solving consumers' needs. It doesn't matter where you are or which culture you go to. The marketing process is always the same,” Lambrecht said.