As the world’s largest brewer, AB InBev’s business is built around increasing the amount of beer people consume. So why is the company advocating for moderate drinking?

Question: How can a company sell more beer by advocating for more moderate drinking?

Carlos Brito: Well this Global Be(er) Responsible Day is a one-day event, but it’s good to remind ourselves that we do those efforts on a year-round basis, so I mean in all countries where we operate we have programs to call attention to the right behavior, in terms of responsible enjoyment of our products.  We’re in business really to provide our consumers with the finest beers in terms of quality and appeal to be consumed in the finest moments, so that’s the whole objective, the sense of purpose for being in business.  So here in our companies we have a clear direction and guideline that excess consumption and consumers and volumes that come from consumers using our products in the wrong way is not what we need for our business.  We don’t need that kind of volume, that kind of consumer to have a great business, so because we have that very clear direction in our company and we are willing to forgo volumes in order to stick to that that’s why we have year-round efforts to interact with our consumers, customers and government officials and different stakeholders to promote the right and the responsible enjoyment of our products.  We think it’s the right thing to do because that’s why we’re in business

It can have both.  It’s not about or.  You can have people consuming more beer in a more responsible way and in the different countries where we operate we see that that’s totally possible.

Recorded September 9, 2010

Interviewed by Peter Hopkins