FIGARODIGITAL.CO.UK
JENS JERMIIN CARLSBERG
Jens Jermiin is VP Group Digital, Media and Creative Content Production at Carlsberg. Before that he was Creative Director Europe at The Coca-Cola Company. He talks to Figaro Digital about creativity, controversy and being part of the conversation.
We’ve seen Carlsberg make a comeback this year with the return of the ‘If Carlsberg did…’ strapline. Can you tell us a little more about the project? JENS JERMIIN: We’re focusing on revitalising the ‘If Carlsberg did…’ campaign platform because it’s one of the few iconic beer campaigns in the world. It lends itself beautifully to cultural trends and has become part of popular culture. We can now come up with a creative response, almost in real time, to any sort of cultural trend. It’s a very good creative platform for us to be part of daily and weekly conversations about what’s going on out there.
Carlsberg has a history of producing inherently comical, share-worthy stunts. Why is this type of experiential marketing so
effective for your brand? JJ: Isn’t that what marketing’s all about: to tell great stories, to surprise, to be in the now, to be part of popular culture? I think so. It’s got a lot to do with the rise of social media. In the extreme noise of messaging and communication, our ability to be part of conversations and to be mentioned or shared by people on social media requires these kinds of ideas and projects. We know it’s a lot more valuable for other people to be talking about our brand; in the end, you trust people more than advertising. We did the biker cinema viral
stunt in 2011 [a couple of Belgian cinema-goers found themselves surrounded by mean-looking bikers] and the recent beer- dispensing poster, but in 2013 we also did a film called Poker where real people were called in the night and asked to help out their friend who was losing money around the poker table. It quickly became viral. It was really popular because these were real people, real friendships and real emotions. That idea has actually been turned into a TV programme in Denmark.
Carlsberg’s light-hearted take on the controversial Protein World ‘Are You Beach Body Ready’ poster was firmly rooted in social conversation. How do you decide which trending topics the brand should respond to? JJ: These kinds of campaigns hit a cultural nerve: they’re disruptive
Isn’t that what marketing’s about: to tell great stories, to surprise, to be part of popular culture?
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and share-worthy because they make people talk. Because we’re a brewer, we have this principle against which we test our content ideas—we call it the ‘pub test’. We ask ourselves, ‘Would this get talked about in the pub?’ Because that’s how people consume communications today: it’s part of snacking, part of entertainment, and people will talk about it if it’s good enough. In order to stay relevant and curious, we’re trying to implement what we’re calling a four-hour creative circle: we’re getting the trend report in the morning, we’re then moving to a four-hour creative process which spits out creative ideas about what kind of content we should turn that response into. Then we push it out and listen to the reaction and how it’s being shared. We amplify it if it’s performing well and we kill it if it’s not.
What other brands’ marketing strategies do you admire and why? JJ: I think there’s a lot of admirable brands out there. I’ve worked 10 years with The Coca-Cola Company. I’m very impressed with how Coke has managed to stay on top for years and the way that their communication has evolved yet never lost the core essence of the brand. But being Danish I should mention Lego. It’s one of the world’s iconic brands: they’ve been able to establish a global consistency, while respecting and tapping into cultural differences. They have a strong heritage, there’s a relentless drive for quality, and their campaigns resonate with the target audience.
INTERVIEW ESTELLE HAKNER
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