Newsletter #2 | All about the product

Veltins and KATZ: Passion for our products binds our two companies together

For many years now, KATZ has supplied C. & A. Veltins with beverage coasters. The brewery, located in the Sauerland region of Germany, has been part of the foodservice industry for 200 years now and has grown from its humble origins as a small traditional brewery into a premium national brand. Through it all, gastronomy has been one of the company’s vital core competencies. In fact, calling it part of its DNA would be more accurate. And that’s what binds the two companies together: Veltins’ unalloyed passion for brewing beer is an ideal match for KATZ’s unalloyed passion for beverage coasters – the perfect foundation for a successful partnership!

Beverage coasters: an indispensable marketing tool

“Back in the 50s, we had very few choices available for marketing, since we were just a small traditional brewery with no advertising budget,” reports Ulrich Biene, the head of Press and Public Relations at Brauerei C. & A. Veltins. Efforts back then were limited to distributing branded glasses, coasters, and wall-hanging signs that today would be considered not only vintage items, but also a symbol of just how important down-to-earth gastronomy has been to the storied Sauerland brewery. And the things that were tried-and-true back then continue to be so today: “Coasters continue to be one of the key items in our marketing toolbox when it comes to food environments, and every version is dear to our hearts. In a way, they’re like small hanging signs that complement outdoor ads,” Ulrich Biene adds. And ultimately, together with glasses, coasters convey a brand image that is in close contact with consumers for prolonged periods of time.

In addition to standard printing and familiar themes, Veltins is currently exploring new and alternative marketing options with its beverage coasters. For instance, there are competitions that are incorporated into larger-scale publicity campaigns in order to boost beer sales, and there are also a variety of coasters with alternating themes. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s an important sign that lets us know that coasters remain an integral part of Veltins’ advertising materials. It makes it clear that the people at Veltins don’t just see beverage coasters as a merely functional commodity, but also as a versatile and extraordinary brand ambassador at the point of consumption,” says Olaf Müller, sales manager for the German-speaking region in Europe at KATZ.

Quality, tradition, and passion: the ties that bind

Tradition, quality, and sustainability are ties that bind the Veltins brewery and KATZ, as part of the Koehler Group, together – perhaps not surprisingly, as both have been family-run businesses for generations.

“For us, dependability and quality are where it’s at, and that’s exactly what KATZ has delivered consistently all these years. Also, needless to say, print quality is an enormously important criterion nowadays when it comes to advertising,” Ulrich Biene underscores.

“We also see Veltins as a really important partner here at KATZ, since they’re one of the leading breweries here in Germany. The way we can always communicate in a straightforward manner characterized by trust really makes the whole business work perfectly, so I’m really happy that we’re getting the opportunity to celebrate Veltins’ 200th anniversary together this year,” Olaf Müller says.