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A drinks industry veteran

FEATURE: This article was also published in NEWS - our quarterly magazine for investors. The Carlsberg Group welcomed Graham Fewkes as Senior Vice President, Group Sales, Marketing and Innovation (GSMI) earlier this year. No stranger to Carlsberg, he brings a wealth of commercial and marketing experience in beverages and the beer category in particular that has seen him work in all Carlsberg’s major regions. Graham Fewkes first joined Carlsberg in connection with theScottish & Newcastle (S&N) acquisition in 2008, when he begun representing Carlsberg Group’s commercial interests in theAsian markets. But even before that he had become familiar with the Carlsberg Group, having been a commercial representative in the joint venture between Carlsberg and S&N in Eastern Europe. His career before that spanned a wide range of sales and marketing roles for Grand Metropolitan plc, Foster’s Brewing Group and S&N plc across Western and Eastern Europe. POWERING UP BRAND PLATFORMS After half a year heading up GSMI, Graham Fewkes and his team have established a number of very specific goals aimed at ac-celerating growth and profit margins. Underlying the goals are some carefully formulated brand growth platforms and a number of “enabling disciplines”. “We’re extremely conscious of how, where and when GSMI can contribute most usefully to the Carlsberg Group’s business model,” says Graham Fewkes. “It’s important we have the right blend of strong central initiatives and local flexibility.” His top priority is protecting the existing core beer business: “Our international premium brands – Carlsberg, Tuborg, Somersby, Kronenbourg and Grimbergen – are in a growing market segment. “They’re at the core of our business and are critical because they are higher-margin products that meet general and replicable consumer needs across many markets. However, our local power brands generate a large portion of the Group’s profits and contribute significantly to growth in the emerging markets. So we need to make sure we keep all of our beer brands refreshed.” Graham Fewkes is focused on delivering to Carlsberg’s “GloCal” approach, which recognises that although the Group as a whole needs a coordinated approach based on efficiency and economies of scale, beer markets remain very local in terms of different cultures, consumer tastes, brand loyalties, legislation and the like. “Our main goal is to deliver to the needs of our local operating companies, who, after all, sit close to the market and understand local needs.” he adds. INNOVATION WITH A CAPITAL I As the GSMI name suggests, innovation, research and development are strategic focus areas. Graham Fewkes is of the opinion that continued focus on innovation, research and development, together with strong brand platforms, will make a big difference to Group performance. He believes that the local markets are key to unlocking Carlsberg’s innovation potential: “Our job is to generate tomorrow’s revenue streams, which involves global coordination, but at the same time, many interesting innovations start with a local story. A real skill at Group level is spotting local winners and knowing when to scale them up. At the same time, I also believe that our strong capabilities within research and development, not least in areas such as yeast, barley and liquid, are crucial in giving us a competitive edge.” BOTTLING THE ESSENCE OF CARLSBERG Graham Fewkes has a special passion for not only the beer category, but also the Carlsberg Group. “The beer category is wonderfully energising to be involved in because consumers really do care about it. You get some highly motivated and interested focus groups that give you great insights. It’s all the more powerful because people become emotionally involved. And at the same time, you get all the professional advantages associated with fast-moving consumer goods.” Despite his Carlsberg pedigree, Graham Fewkes’ new position has brought some pleasant surprises, including an even deeper ap-preciation of the Carlsberg Group’s history. “The more I talk to people throughout our regions, the more I realise how galvanising the history of the Carlsberg Group is. There are so many different stories about our brands that mean a lot to people around the world.” And as a true marketer, never wanting to miss an opportunity to turn emotional engagement into a commercial opportunity, he has a desire to harness these strong connections to heritage. “It moves people in a way that advertising can’t. If we could bottle even one percent of this, I’m sure we could improve our per-formance even more!” His favourite beer? As a passionate beer drinker, he has several, but he is particularly partial to one of the recent additions to Carlsberg’s portfolio, India Pale Ale from the Brewmaster’s Collection. “ Our main goal is to deliver to the needs of our local operating companies, who, after all, sit close to the market and understand local needs. ” Graham Fewkes brings a wealth of commercial and marketing experience in beverages and the beer category in particular and during his career, he has worked in all Carlsberg’s regions.