We built a creative strategy that didn’t just change Budweiser’s communications, but changed how we see ourselves as a business.

Through leveraging the scale of our own commitment to renewable electricity, we were able to create a service that enabled our on-trade partners to power their venue with renewables as well.

Our strategy inspired us to go beyond brewing 100% of our beers with renewable electricity, to ensuring everywhere that people drink our beer is also powered renewably. It was a strategy that redefined our relationship with our B2B customers, created new relationships and shifted our investment strategy.

Budweiser knows that the way we power our world has to change, with the energy supply sector equating to 35% of global emissions. That’s why in 2017 we committed to brewing 100% of our beer with renewable electricity by 2025.

When it became clear we would achieve this goal ahead of schedule, we knew we needed to do more. Every industry has a part to play, and none more so than the hospitality industry, where up to 90% of the electricity still comes from non-renewable sources.

So as we looked for ways to scale our commitment, we saw this as our opportunity. One which took our commitment beyond our beer, beyond our business, and into us leading the transition to renewable electricity in our industry as a whole.

We wanted to scale our positive impact on the planet by taking our commitment to renewables further. But with 100% of our beers already brewed with renewable electricity, we needed to look beyond our product.

We knew the hospitality industry was a route to achieving scale, and as the world’s biggest beer brand we saw an exciting opportunity. Not just brewing 100% of our beer with renewables, but ensuring that our beers were enjoyed in venues powered by 100% renewables too.

Research showed that the majority of the bars that serve Budweiser were still powered by non-renewables, giving us our opportunity to scale our commitment. Enabling millions of other businesses to have a positive impact on the planet too.

To seize this opportunity and achieve our ambition of scaling our impact on the planet, we needed to convince the managers of these bars to make the switch to renewable electricity.

Research showed consumers are looking to businesses to drive progress on climate change, supporting them in reducing their own carbon footprint. What we didn’t know was how the millions of businesses that serve our beer felt.

Interviews with Budweiser sales teams and bar managers highlighted that businesses wanted to play their part too. Reducing their energy emissions was a clear way to achieve this. The problem was renewable energy tariffs available to them were more expensive than their current deals.

Our breakthrough moment came from comparing their energy bills with our own. We saw that the scale of Budweiser’s commitment to buying renewables meant our prices were much lower, giving us an opportunity.

If bars could buy renewable electricity at the scale of Budweiser then it would dramatically lower the cost. This insight gave us the means to overcome the key barrier, making the switch to renewables open to all.

What if Budweiser wasn't just as a brewery, not just as a beer brand, but an energy provider too? Introducing The Budweiser Energy Collective.

For the first time in our 146 year history, we weren't just helping bars serve great tasting beer; we were helping them run on greener electricity too.

The Budweiser Energy Collective is a B2B service that leverages Budweiser’s unique scale to secure renewable electricity at hugely discounted prices. By passing those savings onto our partners we incentivised every venue in the world serving our beer to run on renewable electricity.

Now, not only is every Budweiser brewed with 100% renewable energy, but it can be enjoyed in venues that are too.

Our impact can be seen across reduced carbon emissions, savings on partners’ energy bills and in our PR impressions.

The Collective launched in Brazil, Ireland, and the UK with 5000 bars. These members have already reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 291 tonnes annually and saved up to 50% on their energy bills, equating to a saving of $3.8m Brazilian Real.

Budweiser’s bold dream is that everywhere in the world that serves our beer will be powered by renewable electricity. The Budweiser Energy Collective is on track to convert 250,000 partners to renewable energy by 2025:

> Saving businesses over R$150 million (approximately USD $30 million)

> Preventing 810,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission (CO2e), equivalent to removing 675,000 cars from the road.

> Allowing the creation of $1B of incremental renewable electricity infrastructure.

> Achieving 1.8bn media impressions, which we calculate to be 460m true impressions.

Budweiser’s brand purpose is rooted in helping everyone seize opportunities. Every Budweiser bottle carries the words ‘’the world renowned’ on its label, but the biggest opportunity we have is for ’the world renewed’.

But we knew that seizing the opportunity to switch to renewable electricity wasn’t open to all. Cost was an insurmountable barrier for too many in the hospitality industry, limiting the positive impact that our partners could have on the planet.

The Budweiser Energy Collective is the opportunity for any of our on-trade partners to reduce their impact on the environment, working with Budweiser towards our ambition for a world renewed.