Major beverage producer Molson Coors is radically changing its approach to interacting with content creators, abandoning outdated approval processes characteristic of the television era. The company is now focusing on speed and flexibility, which has led to a fourfold increase in audience engagement. This decision is particularly relevant for companies seeking to optimize their marketing budgets and maximize returns on investment in content marketing.
Molson Coors’ new approach: “freedom within boundaries” for creativity
Since March, Molson Coors, in partnership with The Shake Squad consulting group from Movers+Shakers agency, has begun implementing an updated strategy. Justin Stauffer, Senior Director of Creative Effectiveness at Molson Coors, did not disclose commercial figures but noted that the new system has been scaled to 230 marketers working with over 100 brands in the US and Canada, including Miller High Life, Fever Tree, and Zoa energy drinks.
“We’re moving much faster than we were before because our legal team has been involved in the process from the beginning, they better understand the ecosystem and consumer behavior in this space,” says Stauffer.
The problem of outdated thinking and its solution
Evan Horowitz, CEO of Movers+Shakers, emphasizes that Molson Coors’ main problem is typical for many large companies: senior marketers grew up in a “television” world. This mindset was passed down to junior specialists.
“The world has changed dramatically,” Horowitz notes. “The ecosystem has become much more complex, and brands that still use a television strategy have a broadcast mentality. They talk to customers without understanding that there are hundreds of parallel dialogues. This requires a fundamentally different approach to brand building.”
To address this problem, Molson Coors introduced a “freedom within boundaries” system with the legal department. It classifies potential solutions into three categories:
- Fast track: for quick approvals.
- Requires discussion: for issues needing additional analysis.
- Categorical refusal: for unacceptable proposals.
Less is more: abandoning “TV campaigns” on social media
The second key element of Molson Coors’ strategy is reducing the importance of individual publications and abandoning the treatment of organic social content as a “high-budget TV campaign.”
Influencers vs. creators: what’s the difference?
Horowitz notes: “There is no better platform, no better creator; there is only the question: ‘what audience is this brand trying to reach?’”. Stauffer and Horowitz distinguish between influencers and content creators:
- Influencers: community and reach-oriented.
- Content creators: focused on craft and creativity.
This helps in drafting briefs: creators can receive more open-ended assignments, which requires some adaptation from a large company like Molson Coors.
Measuring effectiveness and trusting new approaches
For large companies, one of the challenges is the “measurement gap” in creator performance. “Marketing budgets don’t change as fast as consumer attention. Many large companies underfund organic social content and creator work because they can’t prove ROI, while their competitors allocate funds on faith and see results,” comments Horowitz.
Experimental approach to content
Horowitz’s team helped Molson Coors rethink its approach to measurement and content itself. “It has to be experimental. It has to be a place where we can test, learn, observe signals, learn about our communities, and build our brands from fans for the feed,” says Stauffer.
The Shake Squad developed a training system for the entire organization, tailored to each brand and their “consumer cohorts.” This allowed Molson Coors to understand how each brand is represented in these groups’ social feeds. “We could see what was in the feed every day for a core Miller Lite consumer,” Stauffer adds.
This culture-first approach helped shape briefs and embrace the power of “lo-fi” content, which feels more authentic and less polished.
“We really had to redefine content quality in this space differently than we were used to doing for other channels,” Stauffer emphasizes.
Trust as the foundation of success
The last, and perhaps most crucial, element of a successful new social strategy for a company worth over $7 billion is trust. Trust in The Shake Squad’s advice and belief that a company that has existed for hundreds of years (Molson and Coors merged in 2005) can radically change its marketing strategy, becoming more agile and responsive.
Molson Coors’ marketing team worked closely with The Shake Squad for several months, applying their research, advice, and expertise to develop a new approach. Horowitz noted that marketing executives approached the collaboration with a humility not common to all large companies, which made the process smoother and more experimental.
According to Stauffer, this humility led to a complete overhaul: fewer restrictions, less hesitation, more focus on culture-centric content.
Perhaps the future of Molson Coors’ marketing strategy will be more like e.l.f. — a cosmetics brand that Movers+Shakers helped grow from $220 million to $1.5 billion and become the number one brand among Alpha, Gen Z, and millennial generations in seven years. This “social-first” brand does not have a traditional marketing agency and only occasionally uses TV ads to create buzz.
“They completely flipped the script,” Horowitz concludes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Molson Coors change its marketing strategy?
Molson Coors sought to adapt to the rapidly changing digital landscape, where traditional “TV-first” content alignment methods were outdated. The goal was to accelerate processes, increase flexibility, and boost audience engagement through collaboration with content creators.
What is the “freedom within a framework” system?
This is a new content alignment system with Molson Coors’ legal department that categorizes decisions into three categories: fast track, requires discussion, and outright rejection. It significantly speeds up approval processes and increases interaction efficiency.
What is the difference between an influencer and a content creator?
According to Molson Coors and Movers+Shakers, influencers are focused on reach and community, while content creators are focused on producing high-quality and creative material. This approach helps to create more precise briefs for different types of collaborations.
How does Molson Coors measure the effectiveness of the new strategy?
The company is moving towards an experimental approach where content is seen as an opportunity for testing and learning. The emphasis is on observing signals from communities and building brands “from fans for the feed,” which allows for a better understanding of the audience and the creation of culture-centric content.
What benefits does a company gain by ordering “turnkey” video production?
Ordering full-cycle video production allows a business to get all necessary services in one place, which significantly saves time and hassle. This eliminates the need to coordinate multiple contractors, reduces risks, and ensures a unified vision for the project from idea to implementation, which is critical for obtaining high-quality and effective content, as Molson Coors’ experience has shown.
Conclusion
Molson Coors’ experience demonstrates that for successful marketing in today’s digital world, it is necessary to abandon outdated approaches and trust new strategies. A comprehensive approach to content production, which includes not only creation but also strategic planning and adaptation to platform specifics, is key to increasing engagement and effectiveness.
If you strive for the same results and want to optimize your marketing efforts, consider ordering full-cycle video production, which will allow your company to move at the speed of creators and reach new heights.
