2020 Category Captain for Beer/Malt Beverages: Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch's (AB) stated mission is to "Lead Future Growth" in the category, and it has made category leadership a top priority throughout the organization. To support this in 2019, Anheuser-Busch stepped up its investment in category capabilities. 

First, it invested in people with the addition of a dedicated vice president of category leadership, Amanda Tilley, who led a department transformation resulting in a sizable Center of Excellence, and expanded national and regional team structures to support future growth.

Then, it invested in analytic tools and technology, such as BrewBox 360, a best-in-class, end-to-end space management platform. AB also stepped up its investment in shopper insights, culminating in Ignite, a shopper-centric category growth strategy tailored to specific retailer needs. At its core, Ignite provides an understanding of shoppers and the occasions in which they are consuming beer, today and into the future. 

Through mapping shoppers and occasions, AB has identified key drivers for category growth across a demand consumption landscape of key demographics and consumption moments. Ignite has helped AB become a category advisor for the majority of the top 20 retailers in convenience, including Circle K, 7-Eleven, Speedway, RaceTrac, Casey's, Murphy USA, MAPCO, Sheetz, Wawa and Maverik.