Tout Bien, or social media as weapon in negotiations

Tout Bien may well be a “very ordinary” lager beer, but influencer Average Rob proves the power of marketing like no-one else can…

From hype to established

Like the Youtuber himself, the beer brand wants to be mostly ‘average’: Tout Bien aims to be an ordinary, tasty Belgian beer. Yet the young brand’s success is anything but average, in terms of marketing. At the Retail Marketing Day on 19 September, its General Manager Wim Maeyens (with former experience at Duvel) will explain how Tout Bien Pils combines creativity, strategic partnerships and a strong online presence to create a unique brand story.

The first batch of 2022 Tout Bien Pils was sold out within hours – just to show how fast things can go via social media. After that, the next stage began: how do you turn a hype into a real brand that is in all major supermarkets in a very saturated market? Maeyens knows it mainly means thinking about mutual partnerships: where is the value of a small company for the big players in Belgium?

“Attracting new customers to the shop floor”

When Tout Bien hit the shelves at Delhaize, the lager brand made a video about it that went viral on Linkedin. For subsequent launches at Colruyt and Albert Heijn, Average Rob donned himself in employee gear to announce them. “Thanks to these collaborations, we can greatly expand our reach and appeal to a broad audience, while the supermarkets attract new audiences to their shops. It is a win-win situation: they get new customers and we get a platform to grow our brand.”

Spilling over the boundaries of social media, the new Tout Bien Rouge was available exclusively at Prik&Tik drinks retailers for a few weeks this year, including the giveaway of a unique beer pong table. At Belgian music festival Pukkelpop, Average Rob worked the cash register at the Colruyt shop in nearby Zonhoven for a day before his DJ set at the Boiler Room, resulting in a queue of 170 people.

Creativity and gut feeling as the basis of entrepreneurship

“Our marketing strategy is all about creativity and authenticity. We do not want to take the traditional route. Instead, we always try to do something new and exciting. These kinds of promotions create a lot of hype among consumers and strengthen the relationship with retailers in different areas.”

Indeed, one of the biggest challenges is to maintain that unique position by continuing to innovate. “Above all, we want to create value for both our customers and consumers. Therefore, we have to constantly prove ourselves and keep thinking together about creative ways to market our product.”

This summer, Tout Bien will organise a real pop-up with OKay (another chain belonging to the Colruyt Group) during the Gentse Feesten. “The folder of ideas is still quite full. It is great to navigate such a unique place in the market as an agile startup. I look forward to sharing our story”, Maeyens concludes.

The Retail Marketing Day on 19 September features keynotes from Carrefour, Tom & Co, Standaard Boekhandel, Tout Bien Pils, LolaLiza, Voyado and more!