May 18 , 2010

Carlsberg boosting its online presence

Teams with Espresso to create online buzz

Carlsberg , the brewery that makes “probably the best beer in the world”, now has a website that brings Canadians of legal drinking age closer to testing that claim for themselves. The site, Carlsberg.ca ( www.carlsberg.ca ), launched this week and promises to not be just another beer site.

Carlsberg.ca includes an integrated blog that provides an additional voice for the brand, engaging Carlsberg enthusiasts on a more personal level. The blog will serve as a destination for Canadians looking for their daily dose of distraction. Blog topics include hilarious videos found on the internet, pop culture, sports, popular internet memes and much more. Reps for the brand will also write posts about special upcoming events for fans of the beer.

“Along with being entertained, Carlsberg drinkers – and those eager to try our beer for the first time – want to know where they can enjoy our product,” says Becky Kwiatkowski , Brands Marketing Manager at Carlsberg. “Our new site does that by literally putting Carlsberg on the map.”

The Find Carlsberg feature on the site allows users to not simply select their city, but type in their neighbourhood to instantly see bars, pubs, restaurants, liquor and beer stores that sell Carlsberg. The site will also be updated with event information to indicate when Carlsberg promotional events, sampling opportunities and prize giveaways will be occurring at bars and pubs.

As a major sponsor of local and international soccer, Carlsberg’s website also helps fans get the most out of a Toronto FC game day. The Part of the Game section of the site includes an online map that provides the best things to do and places to go before, during and after the match.

Bars and pubs that plan to show Toronto FC games and those that have teamed up with Carlsberg for special game day promotions will be specially highlighted.

“We had two things in mind when we developed the site; creating a great digital experience, and an experience that is worth being shared,” explained Jacquelyn Cyr , CEO of Espresso (www.brandinfiltration.com ), the agency behind Carlsberg’s online presence. “By blending entertainment and information in formats and mediums Carlsberg consumers enjoy and use, we’ve made Carlsberg.ca a site worth visiting.”

Along with the activity with Carlsberg, Espresso has been very busy on the beer front. Today the agency also released Drink 2.0: Anything but the Usual in both Canadian (http://bit.ly/drink20canada ) and American versions ( http://bit.ly/drink20usa ). The online presentations pull together bite-size stats and case studies on the alcohol industry and show marketers how digital and social media strategies can improve sales and customer relations.

Drink 2.0 identifies several trends in alcohol consumption and purchasing decisions including:

• Despite the economic turndown, alcohol sales have gone up in both the US and Canada – however the lift was specifically in off-premise purchases
• Imported beer sales are going down in the US but are climbing in Canada
• Since 2000, red wine sales have increased by 130% in Canada
• In America, domestic craft beers have sharply risen in popularity – sales are up 10% in just one year’s time

“If you want to connect with beer, wine and liquor consumers, you need more than a commercial with babes in it,” says Cyr. “How you engage with your potential customers online can have a significant impact on sales, credibility and brand loyalty. Carlsberg understands this – and that’s why you’re going to be seeing and hearing a lot more of them in the very near future.”