The B2B Digital Revolution feat. AB InBev’s Jason Lambert

Jason Lambert, VP of Beyond Labs and BEES at AB InBev, thinks of a customer data platform (CDP) as a circulatory system: it powers the instantaneous flow of data to all business functions.  It’s not the “perfect” metaphor, he says, but it does summarize the impact of a platform that’s become a buzzword for marketers.

Part of Jason’s role at the largest and oldest brewing company in the world involves a few more buzzwords that we can definitely get behind — empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity within the B2B ecommerce space. With over 500 iconic brands and 10 million small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the AB InBev portfolio, Jason wants to solve pain points and elevate the experiences of these worldwide retail partners.

Enter BEES: it’s a B2B e-commerce and SaaS platform co-created by AB InBev and Ambev that is reinventing the digital ecosystem for retailers through highly personalized reward and loyalty programs, expanded portfolio visibility, flexible fulfillment, and more. As the platform matures, Jason creates space for even more tech innovation at BEES’ incubator, Beyond Labs, and in his role as an adjunct professor of product management at the Columbia Business School.

Here, Billy and Jason discuss best-in-class, consumer-grade platforms, and processes in the massive yet oft-neglected B2B market. Our host and guest also explore the hyper-local yet global nuances of the beverage industry, and how to incorporate a modern tech stack and business development strategy into a 650-year-old commercial business. It’s a deep dive into martech that will leave you feeling all the Budweiser.