Asia-Pacific Power List 2022: Matt Che, Budweiser

Matt Che

Chief marketing officer
Budweiser Brewing Company APAC
China
New member  

Matt Che manages marketing teams in China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia as CMO of Budweiser Asia Pacific, an alcohol company listed in Hong Kong. Some brands that he oversees include Budweiser, Corona, Hoegaarden, Cass, Harbin, Blue Girl and Sedrin.

From his team's efforts, the company delivered strong results in 2021 in the Asia-Pacific region. Che also supervises the digital transformation of the business. In China, ecommerce volume has grown steadily throughout the year, as the number of registered users for its loyalty mini-programme hits 18 million. Moreover, the company also leveraged sponsorships in the field of electronic dance music, the FIFA World Cup and the English Premier League.

Budweiser’s campaigns in China and beyond are known for their appealing visuals and distinct packaging. One of the most classic examples is the Chinese New Year campaign in collaboration with independent agency JKR. Apart from creating special packaging and design to commemorate the New Year, Harbin Beer tapped into e-gaming and street culture by creating a virtual idol called Hajiang. This resulted in an uptake of Gen Z users and Harbin rising as one of China’s top three national beers in that period. 

Che and his team are passionate about cause marketing. Under Che’s leadership, Budweiser continues to support various CSR programmes, such as smart drinking by Harbin Beer, carbon neutrality and LGBTQ rights by Budweiser, and clean ocean efforts by Corona. Since 2019, Budweiser has been rolling out its annual Chinese Valentine’s Day campaign called ‘All Love is Love’, celebrating all kinds of love using design elements.

A member of the global steering committee of diversity and inclusion in the company, Che is cultivating a culture of visibility and rights for under-represented groups, including women and the LGBTQ community. In fact, earlier this year, Budweiser APAC was certified as a top employer in China, India, and South Korea by the Top Employer Institute. As testament to the company’s ongoing sustainability commitment, Morgan Stanley Capital International raised Budweiser APAC’s ESG rating to ‘A’ in 2021.

Che also regularly works as a juror and speaker at international and domestic creative events such as Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, Effies China, and ROI China and shares his experience with talent in the industry. He also established Creative X, Budweiser’s internal creative awards to recognise the team and external partners for outstanding creative work.  

Jane Lin-Baden, managing partner of Publicis Groupe APAC, an agency that collaborates with Budweiser, said, “Matt is one of the most audacious marketers I have worked with, fiercely passionate about innovation, and the driving force behind the Budweiser APAC’s marketing function transformation.”