Located in Bénifontaine, Brasserie Castelain is a traditional 100% family brewery, managed by Annick Castelain. The hallmark of the brewery is “the love for the craft, the art of brewing” by combining tradition and innovative production. It has notably created a partnership with its network of retailers (Auchan) which has led to the co-creation of an exclusive product, in accordance with the customers’ expectations: the “L’Experte” beer.
BRASSERIE CASTELAIN: an approach of co-creation with its customers
6. Clients and consumers
Client and consumer relations
Context
Objectives
- Innovate in the development method by designing products with its customers
- Develop “the culture” of the traditional regional beer
APPROACH
Auchan aimed to launch products created for the residents that would therefore be well-received by the consumers. After a 1st successful test in the Alsace département (marketing of a white wine selected by the employees of the hypermarket), Auchan has wished to duplicate the operation in the Nord département and has chosen Brasserie Castelain.
This project comes from a strong commercial partnership between Brasserie Castelain and the retailer, and aims to create “a beer from the Nord made by and with people from the Nord.”
In order to do this, Brasserie Castelain has gathered volunteer Auchan employees to explain to them how beer is manufactured and to organise a visit of the brewery. Auchan employees have specified their criteria (colour, flavour…) so as to find the recipe that corresponds to their taste in accordance with the manufacturing process that is specific to Brasserie Castelain.
During a second meeting, Brasserie Castelain has had Auchan employees taste 3 beers. One of those beers has been selected and shelved at Auchan. The choice of the name has also been worked on.
Through this action, Brasserie Castelain makes local products, raw materials and beer culture known, and shares its traditional expertise with the teams of its customer Auchan.
In August 2013, the launch of the “L’Experte” beer in the Nord has gathered and united the teams of the 2 entities.
CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE
- Customer satisfaction: custom-(co-)built product
- “L’Experte” is marketed in 26 hypermarkets of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
- Improvement in the expertise as regards the creation of specific recipes
Benefits
- Development of the employees’ sense of belonging
- Sharing of the knowledge
- Use of local raw materials
- “Saveur en Or” label
- Workforce
- 29 salariés
- Turnover
- 7,7 millions d’euros (2013)
- Country
- France