In modern times, consumers – or really just humans in general – have increasingly become more reliant on digital media. As amazing as some of these digital executions are, there are other ways this medium is still out of “touch.” As far as technology has advanced, we have not quite discovered a replacement for real, human experiences.

The advantage of experiential marketing is that you can engage multiple senses simultaneously, creating an emotional interaction that has the power to win consumer loyalty on a human level.

No brand leverages sensory marketing better than Anheuser-Busch InBev at any of their five Budweiser Brewery locations across the country. Guests can touch and smell the ingredients, feel the heat of the Brew House and the cold of the Finishing Cellars and see the many working components of the highly regulated Budweiser brewing process. This combination of senses – especially with the payoff of a sample of fresh Budweiser – has been a powerful testament to the King of Beers for many years in their locations throughout the country.

Last year Switch™ helped Anheuser-Busch InBev take this experience beyond the walls of its staple breweries to engage a broader range of consumers and translate powerful sensory cues to a consumer experience that captures the highlights of the Brewery Tour – in a mobile experience.

The Budweiser Brewmaster Tour is an interactive mobile brewery offering beer fans an authentic, hands-on experience with the Budweiser brewing process like never before. During their visit, guests get an up-close and personal beer education from a skilled Budweiser Brewmaster and discover the unique brewing process that delivers the clean, crisp taste of Budweiser.

Guided by our Brewmaster, our guests’ senses are invigorated at each step of the Budweiser brewing experience.

Ingredients: Smell and Touch

Prior to brewing, guests learn about ingredients in an interactive way. They are encouraged to feel the grains and to crush and smell the hops that bring Budweiser it’s unique, clean taste.

Brew House: Smell and See

As they move through the tour, visitors peer into the brew kettle that turns filtered water, malt extract and grains into “wort,” the liquid that will turn into beer once fermented with yeast. Guests breathe in the heavy aroma of malt and hops – experiencing firsthand the middle stages of brewing.

Fermentation Cellar: Touch and See

To experience the final stages of the brewing process – fermentation, Budweiser Yeast pitching and the finishing process, guests enter a room that is chilled to 45 degrees. At this point the beer requires 21 days to naturally carbonate, but first beechwood chips are added to chilled tanks are added to mature the beer’s flavor. A tangled pile of beechwood chips are showcased in a glass walkway.

Sampling Area: Taste, See, Touch and Smell

The last stop brings guests to the sampling area, where they eagerly taste the final product – an ice-cold Budweiser sample, tapped from the cold environment of the Finishing Cellar. That sample is all the more meaningful once the consumer has been set up to understand the complex, historical and rigid Budweiser Brewing process – made more memorable by the activation of all five senses.

Marketing must align with the brand promise to be effective. But if done properly, integrating senses can have a powerful impact on consumer habits, including customer loyalty and purchasing behavior.

Check out our case study to read (and watch!) about the hard work our team put into the Budweiser Brewery Tour.