CASE STUDY
Hanmac
Strengthening the portfolio through brand creation and innovation
Challenge
Oriental Brewery (a subsidiary of AB InBev) has held a dominant position in the Korean beer market for the past two decades. However, the emergence of new competitors reshaped category norms and elevated consumer expectations, the leadership team recognized that a secondary beer brand was needed in the portfolio to maintain market leadership and defend against growing competitive threats. AB InBev turned to Prophet to help create the beer brand – Hanmac.
Solution
Addressing this challenge required a deeply collaborative effort across brand, marketing, sales, consumer insights, innovation and R&D teams. We began by immersing in unique consumer, cultural, and category insights through a combination of in-depth internal reviews and external market analysis. We identified a unique space in the market – the desire for a Korean-style lager that honors traditional beer cues, celebrates Korean pride while delivering a more contemporary experience.
These learnings were brought into a co-creation workshop, where key stakeholders from across the business came together to review insights, prioritize brand territories, generate ideas, and develop brand concepts. A variety of new brand concepts were developed which included naming, positioning, liquid, claims and packaging; these were further tested with consumers.
After establishing the winning concept, we worked with AB InBev’s cross-functional teams, helping to craft the full proposition for Hanmac – from brand positioning and product development to advising on packaging design, testing protocols and go-to-market strategy. Once launched, Prophet continued to play brand guardian role to ensure that the Hanmac brand continued win share and experience growth in the market.
Results
Hanmac launched as AB InBev Korea’s second core beer brand and quickly gained traction in the market, ranking among the highest-performing concepts ever tested—a strong signal of consumer resonance in a competitive category. Hanmac is establishing a complementary proposition within the broader portfolio, delivering double-digit growth and strengthening its key brand image attributes.
The Hanmac launch has not only rebalanced the portfolio but also reaffirmed AB InBev’s ability to lead the market through portfolio strategy and innovation.
“Prophet has been more than just a strategic partner—they’ve served as a guiding force in shaping a disciplined, fast-growing brand. Their collaborative spirit has helped us develop Hanmac the right way and position it for strong, sustained growth.”
Alexander Lambrecht
Head of Marketing East Asia, AB InBev