Anheuser-Busch InBev appoints Marcel Marcondes as global CMO

Dive Brief:

• Anheuser-Busch InBev has named Marcel Marcondes as its global CMO, according to a press release. Previously, Marcondes was the global president of Beyond Beer.
• The appointment comes as Anheuser-Busch InBev undergoes a larger corporate shakeup, including the appointment of Ricardo Tadeu as chief growth officer (CGO), a new position for the company.
• In the past, Marcondes has promoted multicultural marketing. Additionally, he is a member of the Cannes Lions CMO Growth Council and on the board of the Association of National Advertisers.

Dive Insight:

Marcondes’ appointment to global CMO is indicative of how the company is expanding beyond beer, especially as millennial and Gen Z taste shifts beyond the beverage into alternatives, such as hard seltzers and canned cocktails. As the global president of the company’s Beyond Beer division, Marcondes would be intimately familiar with marketing such products.

Marcondes replaces CMO Pedro Earp, who is leaving the company, according to Anheuser-Busch InBev. Earp had held the position since 2018. As part of the corporate restructure, Marcondes will report to the new CGO.

Tadeu has been with the company for 26 years and has held a variety of positions, such as chief sales officer. Additionally, he has overseen the company’s digital transformation, including the launch of the e-commerce platform BEES, which generates over 10 million weekly transactions. The position of CGO is a growing one, but not overly common. Many companies have introduced them in recent years, such as Coca-Cola.

In addition to expanding its beer alternative portfolio, the company has seen a growth in light beer brands, such as Michelob Ultra. Marketing for the brand has mostly revolved around wellness and athletic sponsorships, such as with Olympic runner Usain Bolt. Additionally, in early 2022, the company launched Bud Light Next, a zero-carb beer. To promote the new product, the company released a line of NFT’s, which may be indicative of an upcoming metaverse strategy.

Anheuser-Busch InBev experienced a record level of growth in 2021, hitting $54.3 billion in revenue. This is a significant rebound from the hit the company took during the COVID-19 pandemic, when company revenue dipped to $46.8 billion, down significantly from the $52.3 billion it did in 2019.