We made the whole nation talk about our beer: Public Relations were used as a cornerstone and starting point of the Migros Beer campaign. By transforming a complex issue into a tangible product that is rooted in Migros’ core values we were able to leverage the already existing interest in the historic vote on alcohol sales in an effective and surprising way. This lead to unprecedented media coverage for the retailer, the highest voter turnout in Migros history as well as a successful new product. 

Migros is Switzerland’s largest food retailer and structured as a cooperative association with more than two million members. Founder Gottlieb Duttweiler was concerned about the health of his customers and stipulated nearly 100 years ago that Migros would not sell alcohol. As market situations change and consumer needs for convenience and one-stop-shopping have become more important, the issue was put to a vote among Migros’ cooperative members in 2022.

The problem: Many saw this as a betrayal of their founder's values and a greedy business move.

The brief: developing a campaign that would promote the vote while avoiding a shitstorm. That meant taking a neutral stance and emphasizing the core values of Migros as a social and democratic cooperative, rather than pushing for a “yes” or “no” vote. Objectives were a positive media coverage, igniting a public discussion, getting new cooperative members and a high voter turnout.

Migros is the only supermarket chain in Switzerland (and possibly in the whole Western world) that does not sell alcohol. The alcohol ban was introduced in the 1920s by their founder, Gottlieb Duttweiler, affectionately known as “Dutti”. He still holds an iconic position in Swiss culture for his work ethic, his value-oriented business policy and his decision to basically gift Migros to the people by turning it into a cooperative.

As a direct democracy, Switzerland is characterized by a very high degree of citizen participation. The Swiss participate in political decision-making more than any other nation. Nevertheless, including customers/cooperative members in strategic business decisions via an official vote is highly unusual, even for a Swiss company.

Switzerland has four official languages, one of which is French. The naming of our Migros beer in connection with the vote (NON = No, OUI = Yes) was understood by everyone.

To promote the vote, we utilized a product idea instead of a "usual” campaign and invented the very first Migros beer. It was directly linked to the outcome of the vote. OUI or NON? With or without alcohol? No matter the outcome, there would be reason to celebrate. Should the pro vote come through, the OUI with alcohol would be released. Should the opposition win, they could celebrate with the non-alcoholic NON. This changed public perception completely: Instead of divisive politics, a fun product took the stage. And instead of talking about the "sinister" aspect of selling alcohol, people were discussing which beer they would prefer to see in their supermarket in the future. The Migros Beer thus not only made the results more tangible and illustrated Migros’ neutral, democratic stance in a striking way, but also gave the story a much-needed positive twist.

The decision to vote on the issue was highly controversial. To avoid damaging Migros' reputation, it was crucial to take an active role and steer the story. By transforming the complex issue into a tangible product, we gave the story a positive twist with news value. 

Target audiences included not only existing cooperative members, but also members of the press and the Swiss public in general. 

From the initial press release, to the availability of management for interviews, to a post-vote press conference and a pre-launch press mailing of the beer, we kept the press interested. Earned media was flanked with numerous articles in the weekly Migros magazine. 

Throughout, Migros remained true to its democratic approach and pursued a neutral core message: every opinion is welcome, every result is a cause for celebration. In the end, it's up to you. 

After an initial press release, the Migros Beer gained immediate attention from the media. Additional and strategically placed content pieces were provided through Migros-owned channels, which gave background information and presented both pro and con arguments through expert interviews and public surveys throughout the entire campaign period. Seven TV spots, out-of-home and print flights, as well as display ads and online video placements, provided additional reach and fueled the national debate. Our narrative was always: whatever the outcome, there will be reason to celebrate. 

Timeline: 

21.03. – 31.08.22 (Phase 1) Promotion of vote 

15.10. – 30.10.22 (Phase 2) Product launch 

Placement: 

Owned channels (Migros Magazine issued weekly to all cooperative members, Newsletters, Landing Page) / TV spots on national TV / National OOH Flights / print ads in Sunday press / Display and Online Video Ads on Instagram / Facebook / Youtube and various Swiss advertising networks / POS

A national debate:

- 5,187 earned news articles

- Total advertising value equivalent of CHF 14.72 million (more than ten times of the invested media budget)

- Earned Reach: 47.8 million (radio and TV), 222.2 million (Print), and 129.4 million (online)

- Social post reach of 1.72 million (organic 620k vs. 1000k paid)

- Post engagement rate of 3.8%

- Dedicated 1 hour program on Switzerland’s largest TV network in a format focusing on political issues

Voter turnout:

- 20’515 new registered cooperative members

- Highest voting participation in Migros history (30% of 2.3 million registered cooperative members)

Side effect: a Successful new product.

- Rise of Migros revenue in the alcohol-free beers segment by 85%*

- Rise in Migros market share in the alcohol-free beer segment by 47%*

- Repurchase rate that is 80% higher than average for similar products*

(*Period: October – December 2022)

A democratic beer for the most democratic supermarket in the most democratic country in the world: When Gottlieb Duttweiler founded Migros about 100 years ago, he stipulated that the company would never sell alcohol for public health reasons. Since Duttweiler is still an icon in Switzerland, this has remained deeply anchored in the minds of the Swiss population to this day. Therefore, we had to proceed very carefully to avoid a public backlash in the country. To manage the narrative, we had to adopt a neutral stance in our communications across Switzerland, promoting neither a Yes nor a No vote, but making it clear that there would be a reason to celebrate regardless of the outcome of the vote. To do this, we found a simple solution that would also be understood in all language regions: Beer (which is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in Switzerland).