The Bud-dy System

Extreme Arts CEO Randy Harrington recently finished working with our team in London–helping a large client put together an international sales management and messaging program. In a strange twist of events, Harrington found himself in a hidden-jewel Indian restaurant in Liverpool that proudly served Budweiser as its premier beer. The week before, Harrington worked with the Board and management team of Anheuser Busch Employees Credit Union (who you might guess are also fans of the brand). For Harrington, there are no coincidences:

“When you travel as much as we do, and work with so many different clients, you realize just how small the world is becoming. International brands provide consistency and familiarity in their products and services. But, there is always opportunity for businesses to capitalize on the power of localization. Whether you are the purveyor of a huge brand like Anheuser Busch–or you are a tiny restaurant in a city famous for restaurants–you win when you are able to connect with customers in the moment. Customers want it all–the security and consistency of a big brand and the craftsmanship and uniqueness of a localized product. As managers, marketers, sales people, and leaders you will win when you can personalize–and scale–globally. The trick is to be clear about the DNA of what makes you different, valued, and accessible to your customers. Too often we cop out by using general terms like “service” or “quality”. Great clients like ABECU are doing the hard work of defining exactly what “great service” looks like–so that it can scale (globally? Who knows?).”