[Interview] “Retail is like elite sports!” (Els Lagrou, Albert Heijn Belgium)

The move to Albert Heijn was a real eye-opener for marketing director Els Lagrou. She has since fallen in love with both the industry and the brand, which, as a challenger, is carving out a niche for itself in Flanders with creative campaigns.

52 campaigns a year

“Since I started working at Albert Heijn, I’ve often called myself ‘Els in Wonderland,’” says Lagrou, who admits that working for a supermarket chain was never high on her list of priorities. “I only ever saw those weekly flyers… But after a conversation with Raf Van den Heuvel, who is incredibly passionate about retail, my perspective changed. When you’ve been in the business for twenty years, you think you’ve seen it all, but nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve since fallen in love with retail. I think it’s truly a high-performance sport.” At Retail Marketing Day on September 24, she’ll explain why.

What’s the biggest difference compared to her previous jobs—including stints at Brussels Airlines, bpost, DPG, VRT, and Febelfin? “The pace—with a new campaign almost every week. That’s a huge difference from other sectors. I also find the interaction with consumers—whom we have to win over anew every week—super inspiring and even addictive. You’re constantly learning; every week brings a new chance to do better. I also love that our office is right above the store on Karel Oomsstraat: there, I see our communications come to life every day. At Brussels Airlines, we had three campaigns a year, featuring a TV commercial, a bus shelter poster, and a print ad. But times have changed, and the media landscape has become fragmented.”

“We are one Albert Heijn”

Albert Heijn’s mission also won her over: working together to make better food accessible to everyone. “That’s truly alive within the company. We have a unique positioning. Price is part of our brand, but so is our product assortment and the quality experience in our stores… So there’s no discrepancy between building a brand on one hand and that weekly flyer on the other. You can’t have one without the other: you can’t focus solely on performance, or solely on your long-term brand image. Those elements come together beautifully at Albert Heijn.”

It is, however, a brand that draws on an enormous legacy in the Netherlands, where the stores are ubiquitous. Will the Belgian organization be given the necessary leeway? “Absolutely! Today, I have the best of both worlds. We can build on that brand in Belgium, while receiving a lot of support and inspiration from the Netherlands. There are top marketers there. We are one Albert Heijn. The foundations, the DNA, the mission, the product range—we’re bringing all of that to Flanders. But of course, we’re also adapting it to Flemish tastes. It’s a different culture; we have different tastes, different celebrities, and we experience advertising differently, too.”

Flemish flair

Creativity is a key driver in this process. In Flanders, Albert Heijn doesn’t have the same budgets or visibility as it does in the Netherlands. “We’re not the market leader here—we’re a challenger—so we have to convince people to come to us.” The campaigns need to have pizzazz; they need to stand out. They’re seasoned with a local twist.

The series “De Wereld in het Kleijn,” for example, is typically Flemish. “In the Netherlands, there was a series featuring supermarket manager Ilse and Bart. A fantastic format, but we couldn’t just bring it over to Belgium. We still have too much to explain here: what a fresh food package is, for example. That’s how ‘De Wereld in het Kleijn’ came about. It was important to us that it felt more Flemish and more familiar.”

Accessible to everyone

Albert Heijn is forming quite a few partnerships in Flanders: “De Warmste Week,” the arrival of St. Nicholas, Flemish drama series like “Single Bells” and “Time:out”… TV chef Jeroen Meus is also a key factor: if he likes it, then it must be good. “We want to be the supermarket for many Flemish people. I’m proud that, as a brand, we’re accessible to everyone. Many different people find their way to us: we’re doing really well with young people, as well as with families, vegetarians, athletes, and people with an immigrant background…”

The “Swappen” campaign also originated in Flanders. “Healthy eating is part of Albert Heijn’s mission, and we want to make it tasty, achievable, and affordable. Research showed us that Flemish people aren’t quite sure where to start or how to stick with it. That’s why we chose ‘swapping’: it’s about eating better in small steps. An approach that’s been very well received—and one that has since made its way to Albert Heijn in the Netherlands as well.”

Mont Blanc

And speaking of elite sports: “I’m a mountaineer myself: when you stand before Mont Blanc, you’re overwhelmed, but if you break that journey down into stages—from this hut to the next spot—you’ll make it to the summit. It’s the same with eating habits: you don’t have to change everything all at once. Try replacing white pasta with whole-grain pasta, or white bread with whole-grain bread.”

At RetailDetail’s Retail Marketing Day on September 24 in Brussels, Els Lagrou will share more about her vision for marketing and Albert Heijn’s approach in Flanders. Also on stage that day: speakers from Planet B, Ava, Vanhalst Retail Group (Dreambaby, Supra Bazar, Kabine), and PubliBox. As always, the event will be expertly moderated by Gino Van Ossel (Vlerick Business School). Tickets and info via the button below.