Case Studies
Labatt – A Beer Brand in Need of an Agency Boost
Labatt is a classic brand that had gotten lost in the sea of craft beers and a myriad of imports. They needed a new agency to help them re-position the brand for future growth.
Situation/Background
Labatt Beer, the flagship of North American Breweries was looking to bring the “new” Labatt to life. The brand had been relatively stagnant for the past few years. The brand also did not have much of an on-premise presence. 95% of their support was off-premise. Going forward, the brand hoped to be in more of a 50/50 split, off versus on-premise. Labatt’s current agency has not been very strategic, they don’t appear to be too concerned about defining and protecting the brand. Their work, thinking, creative and service has been “good”, not “great”. And the agency has become an order taker, not a leader for the brand.
Search Requirements
Labatt was looking for an agency that had beverage experience, had on and off-premise experience, and an agency that was highly proficient in channel activation. They wanted this new full service agency to be highly proficient in digital marketing and have experience marketing to young adult consumers of legal drinking age.
Agency Selection
This search required a well-equipped agency to support their desire to build up the Labatt brand. For RSW/AgencySearch, the process is the same, regardless of how big or small the agency options are. We reviewed the credentials of numerous agencies, interviewed those that had the best experience and work samples, and ultimately pushed out an RFI to those agencies that aligned best with the needs of the Labatt brand. Ultimately, three agencies were selected for the final pitch presentation at Labatt’s international headquarters. After a full day of agency pitches, Ammirati was selected to represent the brand.
