CX technology supports autonomy from classic distribution chains in FMCG

Krombacher establishes direct customer relationship

Traditional distribution chains in the fast-moving consumer goods segment (FMCG) traditionally separate manufacturers from their consumers, sometimes through multi-level trade channels. Together with valantic and selected CX technology partners, the traditional brewery Krombacher has broken through a part of the distribution chain as part of the strategic digital transformation with the establishment of the digital customer relationship: data distribution.

Successful traditional brand

The Krombacher Brauerei Bernhard Schadeberg GmbH & Co. KG is one of the largest private breweries in Germany and has ranked among the top 3 best-selling beers in its home market for several years. For several decades, the brewery has mastered classic communication. The result is a high level of both supported and unsupported brand awareness.

Strong portfolio of brands

Krombacher Brauerei Bernhard Schadeberg GmbH & Co. KG has long since evolved from a brewery into a broad-based distributor in the beverage industry. Strong brands ranging from Fassbrause to Vitamalz, from Orangina to Dr. Pepper and Schweppes form the bridge to the most diverse consumer preferences.

Multiple potential through overcoming hurdles

Challenges for Krombacher

The digitization of customer interaction is a particular challenge for traditional companies with traditional sales channels. In the course of its strategic transformation, Krombacher Brauerei has defined key topics that are relevant to it:

Historically grown IT system landscape & data silos
Lack of data basis for end-to-end Buyer & Customer Journey
Limited opportunities to initiate customer relationships directly
Change in consumer preferences with regard to price, quality and ingredients
Market research as the only means of generating insight
ATL communication hardly measurable as the only means of demand generation
Legal regulations on the sale and advertising of alcoholic products

The real challenge lies within the organization: how does it understand itself? How does a traditional brand stay true to itself, yet reinvent itself?

Peter Latz
Head of Customer Relationship Management

"The establishment of a long-term and successful relationship with our customers is the only way to implement customer centricity across the entire customer journey. To this end, it is essential to offer our customers individual and interest-based communication and services in order to meaningfully intensify customer loyalty across the time axis and individual customer activities. The new systems provide us with the technological basis for this."

Holistic transformation is the answer to structural challenges

Customer Experience leveraged by 3 initiatives

Setting up Data Driven Marketing by introducing a Customer Data & Experience Platform (CDXP)

Integration of Customer Service Contacts into the Data Driven Marketing Framework (CRM)

Generating added value for customers by expanding the loyalty & feedback program (engagement)

With the implementation of the Bloomreach Customer Data & Experience Platform and the powerful link to the Salesforce Service Cloud by elastic.io, the technological foundation for a modern brand relationship has been laid.

The all-round integrated customer view enables Krombacher to make an individual relationship offer to all individual customers; on every occasion and via the most important channels.

Sven Markschlaeger, Chief Digital Officer der Krombacher Brauerei Bernhard Schadeberg GmbH & Co. KG

Sven Markschläger
Chief Digital Officer, Krombacher

For companies like Amazon or Zalando, it's natural and crystal clear: User Centricity is winning the hearts of consumers. For companies like us, it's a transformation that's happening now. We have recognized that CRM is our channel of the future. And the currency of this channel is the customer experience.

And the results are impressive:

+100 %

Growth of newsletter subscribers in 2021

+6 %

Shopping cart volume in the online store

38 %

Share of new customers in the "Krombacher Friends Program" since the beginning of 2021

+12 %

Average newsletter open rate

An FMCG beverage brand thrives on tangible experiences

Offline experiences as part of the digital journey

In addition to the strong, purely digital results, the integration of offline touchpoints into the customer journeys, which also bring real added value for Krombacher and customers in the direct digital customer relationship, deserves special mention.

Portrait of Nils Weber, Managing Director, valantic CX, valantic Digital Marketing CRM GmbH

Nils Weber
Managing Director valantic Digital Marketing & CRM GmbH

The disciplines of service and marketing belong thought together. Krombacher employees in service with daily human-to-human interactions must have full and transparent access to automated communication. They are part of the one Krombacher voice to customers* and, especially in light of extended offers through loyalty programs and additional brand experiences, are increasingly challenged in perspective.

Touchpoints, synchronized!

One Voice to the Customer!

The result of a holistically thought-out and excellently executed digitization strategy from Krombacher can serve as a blueprint for FMCG brands. The direct customer relationship across all lifecycle phases creates greater independence from retail and distribution, as well as potential efficiencies in the use of media budgets of classic channels.

Learn more about the holistic customer experience in our white paper

The supporting initiatives of the direct digitized customer relationship break through the silos of the organization and support the transformation to a unified voice to customers.

One Voice to the Customer, download here!

Hello from Langenfeld

Nils Weber

Partner & Managing Director, valantic Division Customer Experience

+49 173 158 3002

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