In the realm of Australia's beer industry, insights, research and data has become the cornerstone of success. However, a dire revelation loomed large as the spectre of the 'cookie apocalypse' emerged on the horizon. Giants like Apple, stripping the ability to track online consumer behaviour, coupled with an increasing awareness among consumers of the value of their personal information, presented a formidable challenge.

Lion, one of Australia’s biggest brewers, operates largely in the beer category, a category where staying abreast of the ever-evolving preferences and profiles of Australian consumers is key. Therefore, an alternative way to access consumers information and staying ahead of the curve were imperative.

In order to recruit the desired number of Australians, Lion first utilised direct mail and email communications, to deliver a summons en masse, encouraging Australians to participate in its nationwide trial of beer.

The summons was then supported by a call to arms from an exceptionally handsome Australian celebrity, Merrick Watts. Creating the herd effect, by leading the charge, Merrick featured in film, earned articles, PR, radio, social media and on-premise placements.

Finally, bespoke coasters were placed in on-premise venues nationwide, featuring QR codes that pointed to the Brewery Duty website.

Through these channels, people opted in to receive free beer, deliberating which brews were guilty of being downright delicious. Through this data from over 50k particpants, Lion was able to create better brews that Aussies actually wanted.

Since the government and individuals were cracking down on data-sharing, Lion would instead subvert data-acquiring methods altogether and instead do things the old fashioned way - by commissioning an absolutely giant research panel free from the control of the tech giants.

We convinced Aussies to be a part of this particular beer trial over all others by tapping into the shared belief that beer is a part of Aussie culture, and therefore it is every Aussies civic duty to better the future of beer through their verdicts.

We also ensured that we legitimised and ‘patriotized’ the process with the look and feel of Jury Duty - another necessary civic duty that every Aussie is required to partake in.

By enlisting participants to join a discerning tasting panel, thereby receiving complimentary sudsy libations, Lion achieved a remarkable outcome. A devoted cohort of beer connoisseurs was amassed, poised and ready to propel Lion’s portfolio through real time feedback on new innovations and current products, all heralding an epochal beer renaissance beneath the Southern Cross.

This resulted in the largest beer-tasting jury in the world (57k+ engaged jury members), with a first-ever live data-set of beer preferences. This meant 313% faster product trials, 76% lower R&D expenses, and a 19:1 return on investment from Lion.