A beer retirement account? Here’s what this brand did to help sellers fund their retirement!
| From the desk of Miles Everson: I’m excited to talk about another campaign in today’s edition of “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!” For those of you who may not know, guerrilla marketing is an out-of-the-box strategy that encourages marketers to use unconventional strategies when engaging with their target audience. I’m a fan of this strategy because it exemplifies just how impactful unconventional campaigns can be. For today’s case study, I’ll be putting the spotlight on a creative and socially beneficial guerrilla marketing campaign. Ready to know more? Keep reading below! |
From casual gatherings to international markets, beer remains a worldwide staple. Per Kirin ’s global beer consumption report, that popularity drove a massive 194 million kiloliters in global consumption in 2024. … and Colombia, a South American country, is among the nations that consumed the most beer that year. Among the most popular beer brands in the South American country is Poker, a brand owned by global beverage giant AB InBev. Poker has been a fixture in the country for decades and has become a beloved and widely known brand.
In 2025, Poker became not only a popular drink, but also a way for Colombian shopkeepers to build their pensions. Here’s how Poker and ad agency Monks pulled it off… The Beer Retirement Account According to 2024 data, only 18% of Colombians have access to a full pension. One of the reasons attributed to this is that many are employed informally. To address this gap, Poker collaborated with the Colombian government, its pension fund, and ad agency Monks. … and the target beneficiaries? Shopkeepers who were between the ages of 40 and 60 years old! Colombian shopkeepers play an important role in AB InBev’s presence in the Colombian market. They represent over 40% of the company’s market in the country and they are the ones who sell Poker beers. That said, how exactly did Poker help them build retirement accounts? The brand made this possible by leveraging the BEES digital platform, AB InBev’s global B2B digital platform. The BEES platform enabled distributors and shop owners to purchase beer directly from AB InBev. It also has a redeemable rewards points system. As it turned out, it was found that 70% of the points earned by Colombian shopkeepers went unused and expired. What Poker and its partner did next was identify how many points weren’t being redeemed or used by each shopkeeper in the BEES platform. They then added a function to the BEES platform that notified shopkeepers about their unused points, along with a reminder to redeem the latter into cash and transfer money directly to their pension accounts. During Q3 2023, the “Beer Retirement Account” was initially rolled out to a select group of shopkeepers. Those who participated in the pilot program were provided with training sessions and tutorials showing them how to convert their BEES points into retirement savings. The “Beer Retirement Account” was officially launched in January 2024. Securing a Financial Future, One Beer at A Time The “Beer Retirement Account” was an ingenious initiative. Was it successful? The answer to that question is a definitive YES! It achieved the following results during its first year:
It was also estimated that the number of participating shopkeepers would balloon to over 70,000 by the end of 2025. Aside from encouraging shopkeepers to save up for retirement, increasing sales, and boosting platform adoption, the campaign garnered positive recognition from D&AD, Cannes Lions, and The One Club. Talk about a successful initiative! These results clearly show that Poker’s “Beer Retirement Account” succeeded not only because of its creativity but also because of its positive impact! By identifying a pain point and coming up with a socially beneficial solution, Poker was able to help both itself and the Colombian shopkeepers. This is a reminder that guerrilla marketing campaigns aren’t only useful for generating sales or boosting brand awareness. Sometimes, the best campaigns are those that provide beneficial solutions to a societal problem. So, the next time you come up with a guerrilla marketing campaign, think about what your target customers suffer from the most. Then, use that as your inspiration to craft a memorable and impactful campaign. Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one Australian nail brand “nailed” its guerrilla marketing strategy? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
