AB InBev Helps Drive Marketing Optimization With ML-Powered BEES
AB InBev implemented BEES in 2016 and the company continues to reap the rewards from the e-commerce and data-sharing platform.
The network has grown to 3.8 million monthly active users, according to CEO Michel Doukeris, now spanning 27 countries and a portfolio of more than 500 brands. It has helped progress the company’s digital transformation, generating $11.7 billion of gross merchandise value, with $530 million generated through third-party products on BEES marketplace for the second quarter of 2024.
During a recent call with investors, Doukeris pointed to sales personalization, marketing optimization, and communication as key benefits of the program.
Automations Drive Efficiency
Within sales, automation has driven increased efficiency, with 75% of orders generated by machine learning. “So neither us nor the customer is creating the order; the customer is just accepting the sales proposal that he receives in a very efficient way, very productive way,” said Doukeris.
On promotions, he said the company has been able to scale and optimize efforts, increasing visibility through DTC and brand data to form integrated marketing campaigns with a ring-fenced financing structure.
“We can get a much more efficient way to spend our dollars and either create more sales or have a better revenue management,” he said.
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Also, personalization within this effort has allowed for more specialized, one-to-one proposals powered by an influx of customer data that can be segmented by size, profile, proximity to sports events, and region.
Overall, within what Doukeris said is more akin to an operating system than a product for AB InBev, the open lines of communication give the company direct access to sentiment data that’s consolidated at a global level.
“We are today much better at communicating with our points of sales and measuring and EPS, like the satisfaction with our service, because we can do this online every week and the customer directly inputs their satisfaction on the system,” he said.
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Then and Now
The company launched BEES with the goal of creating new sales opportunities through a pool of untapped data. Since its launch, CPG companies like Kraft Heinz have signed on to capture new markets using AB InBev’s distribution network, allowing retail partners to place orders for products, manage invoices, schedule deliveries, and earn rewards.
Now the company is particularly focused on marketing optimization, using BEES within its delivery platforms TaDa and Ze Delivery to increase promotion effectiveness. Doukeris said the company has yielded results from its recent Copa America and Olympics activations by tapping into this digital pathway.
