12. Appendix
12.3 Appendix 3: Transcript of semi structured interview
69 M: How can Carlsberg rebuild their brand into making younger consumers resonate and identify with them?
E: They would need to focus more on sustainability. And really deliver products, that are more healthy and also more sustainable bottling. And seem like a local brand with better taste.
J: Yeah, if they could somehow make some very local brands like Mikkeller does it would be very good.
M: How do you think Carlsberg can truly resonate with younger consumers then?
E: Wow, I just do not think the young people are gonna like it as much. I mean, people are really digging local brands.
K: How about if Carlsberg financed smaller breweries that were otherwise gonna have to shut down, so they save work places? That would bring goodwill too.
M: A good idea Katrine, really. I will note that!
M: Which products would you then recommend Carlsberg to introduce?
J: As mentioned earlier, a light beer in terms of calories with a large amount of alcohol would be good. Then I can maintain my sixpack, while also remaining my social life. Win win!
M: Thank you so much for participating today everyone. I am truly happy you took your time to meet up with me and discuss the answers I came up with. Great answers too.
70 The interview aims to understand what kind of products Carlsbergs sees are trending. It will reveal what the younger generation wants to purchase, and it will describe the fierce
competition on the shelfs.
2nd phase: Design
The interview will be semi structured, as it is an initial interview aiming to cover and give insights to the fundamental issues of the paper (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2012). There has been no prejudices or assumptions prior to the interview, and the interviewees will have time and space to describe his own thoughts, beliefs and arguments.
3rd phase: Interview - Who are you?
I am Jeppe, 28 years old and working for Carlsberg as a senior Product Manager at Carlsberg - Which Carlsberg products do you believe are the favorites of the younger consumers?
Definitely the Tuborg Rå. It is a more ecological beer, and it is therefore a little bit more healthy than the other beers.
- Has something changed the last 10 years in beverage consumption habits?
Wow, yeah. People really did not care about the environment 10 years ago. Now we really need to focus on the environment and our sustainable packaging etc, so the customers will still buy our products.
- Is the younger consumers change of preferences one of the major issues and threats of the company?
Nah, I would not say so. Our company will always be the market leader, we are so well positioned I could not see who could tip us off. We also really try to improve our sustainable activities, and we aim that in 2050 our production will be completely carbon emission neutral.
- What do you think if I mention that several consumers believes that Carlsberg does not live up to its size in terms of sustainability efforts?
71 I think that is not true. We are really doing our best in reducing our footprint. We are even driving electric cars in many of our vehicles now too to reduce the footprint. So trust me, we do everything we can. Though, there is a lot of water and resources needed to produce beer, I must admit that.
- What will the future generation of consumers wants when they drink beer?
We can see a huge trend in special beers with a good taste, but still not too caloric. For example, our competitor Mikkeller have some beers that have become very trendy. I do admit, that some of their local beers are quite dope. We also have some really cool beers, and I think in the future we are also gonna serve more types of special beers .
- Do you think CSR plays a big role in consumers purchase decision processes? And what types do you do at Carlsberg?
Well, first of all we support Danish hospital clowns. Second, we have developed sustainable packages, that reduces our carbon footprint. And then we employ so many Danish employees, which means we benefit crazy much to the tax system. The thing is that everyone today can share their opinion and be heard, which affects companies negatively. The more information available, the more fake information we are also getting. It also brings some security to the world though, as it brings awareness and transparency to the table. But most cases, it brings misjustice.
- Is it unhealthy to drink beer?
Not when you drink responsible I would say. If you drink less than 10 beers a week, I think the yeast and hops contributes, as we all need fibers in our body. If you drink too much, its obviously not good.
- Do you see an idea in purchasing or making a partnership with a completely ecological and organic beer brand?
Definitely. We’ve got the money and resources, so I really think it could be an good idea.
- I actually conducted a focus group interview with some millennials. They believed you guys should introduce a light beer with less calories and more alcohol percentage.
What do you think of that?
72 I actually tried a light beer like that in United States. It was called Budweiser Light. A lot of college people are drinking it. I thought about a few years ago why we do not have it here.
- What kind of products would you recommend Carlsberg to introduce to the Danish market?
I think they should introduce nutritious and healthy beer products to the Danish market. That would really be a way to show that we are the market leader in beverage consumption.
4th phase: Transcription
After the interview had taken place, an audio file was transcripted.
5th phase: Analysis
The interview was analyzed in relation to all other frameworks, theories and models applied in the paper. It was held up as arguments either supporting or countersupporting other findings in the paper.
6th phase: Verification
The interview needs to remain objective, valid and reliable. The researcher has tried to do that by not being too focused on specific outcome when asking questions.
7th phase: Report
The result of the interview is used in the analysis part to report and support the findings. All relevant quotes will be used in coherence with findings.
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