Vera Donner-Sander – Semper idem Underberg AG

Semper idem Underberg AG is a family-owned German company renowned for its premium spirits, including the iconic Underberg herbal bitter, Asbach brandy and the cachaça brand Pitú. The company was established in 1846 and the name element “Semper idem” (‘always the same’), underscores both the herbs’ consistent, gentle extraction process and the high-quality standards of the products and the brands. With a history of over 178 years, the company remains committed to tradition while embracing innovation to engage longstanding and new consumers.

In this interview, Vera Donner-Sander, International Marketing Director at the company, discusses the challenges of balancing a heritage brand with modern audience needs, and the importance of staying relevant and engaging with your community through creativity. She also touches on AI’s role in creative development and the company’s international strategies.

BALANCING TRADITION AND MODERNITY FOR BRAND GROWTH

With a dynamic team of 10 people, Vera’s key focus is building strong brands, creating impactful branding, and providing a platform for international and national growth. The most important KPI measured for growth is shelf rotation, looking at how products perform in defined distribution spaces. “For example, when a product is in defined distribution, how much influence can we exert there, and how much can we grow from it?” This has worked well for Semper idem Underberg in recent years, particularly with the brand Asbach.

As the company strikes a fine balance between its rich heritage and the demands of modern audiences, market penetration is another important KPI, especially within the traditional and younger user groups whose expansion is a key focus.  “It is important to realise that growth comes primarily from winning new users,” says Vera. This includes younger audiences who receive tailored approaches, blending self-irony with bold storytelling. She explains, “For example, at Parookaville, we focus on storytelling and going beyond what’s expected. Self-irony and a light-hearted touch significantly make the brand more relatable and engaging.” Beyond campaigns, live activations, such as the Asbach Camper travelling to festivals, turn consumers into passionate advocates.

For iconic brands‘ traditional consumers who might have drifted away, basic awareness campaigns could be enough to remind them of the brand’s trusted reputation. These campaigns often rely on nostalgic cues, like celebrating Asbach’s role in the TV format “Germany’s best party cellar.”. Although the company doesn’t specifically use the term ‘diversified messaging’, it is essentially what they do: “We adapt our brand activations and messaging to the target audiences, while we consistently follow our brand narrative.”

“Self-irony and a light-hearted touch significantly make the brand more relatable and engaging.”

THE ROLE OF RELEVANCE AND INNOVATION

Semper idem Underberg’s brands typically have a high brand awareness due to their long history. However, the key KPI remains mental availability or mental penetration, as that’s the pathway to further growth. “We aim to ensure our products are part of people’s lives in specific moments. For example, if someone is planning a barbecue, we want Underberg to be on their shopping list. Or if they’re hosting close friends and celebrating their friendship, we want to be the natural choice for that occasion,” Vera explains.

To achieve and maintain high mental availability, relevance forms the backbone of Semper Idem Underberg’s brand strategies. The company focuses on aligning its narrative with evolving consumer values, such as togetherness and good times.

Furthermore, product development plays a crucial part in driving brand growth. “Product innovations can be game-changers. For example, our RTDs have been highly successful and have driven growth for the cachaça brand Pitú by offering a unique, convenient proposition. Without them, we wouldn’t have achieved the same results,” Vera explains. She highlights that product innovations should not be a “random” addition to the brand portfolio but rather an extension of the brand’s story as well as an answer to changing consumer needs. To achieve that, a clear brand strategy and also in-depth research play an important role.

“We start with deep psychological market research to understand the key drivers of the brand. It’s qualitative and gives us foundational insights. From there, we can better design innovations and test them through marketing mix studies—concepts, communication, packaging, and so on. If we work with false assumptions at the beginning of the research, it’s hard to recover later,” she explains. By engaging consumers across multiple touchpoints, the Semper Idem Underberg brands show how relevance and innovation go hand in hand.

“If we work with false assumptions at the beginning of the research, it’s hard to recover later.”

POWER OF CREATIVITY: ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND SHAPING FUTURE

Creativity enables the Semper Idem Underberg brands to connect with audiences in meaningful ways. “Maybe more so now than ever before,” Vera says. She believes it is due to the evolution of consumer interaction, “It’s no longer about one-way marketing messages; it’s about brand dialogue. For me, the idea is to turn customers into fans—fans are enthusiastic and spread the word.” This is exactly what the company is aiming to achieve through communities, by triggering emotions, and tapping into consumers’ passion points.

A recent example of how authentic storytelling can elevate a brand is the collaboration between the brand Underberg and the legendary German hip-hop band “Die Fantastischen Vier” using rituals like the “four seconds of silence” to resonate with fans. Vera explains, “Many people ask us if we’re doing ‘culture marketing.’ The truth is, this collaboration wasn’t a calculated move but a very authentic story. The connection between the legendary herbal bitter and the four musicians dates back to the 1990s.

Since DIE FANTASTISCHEN VIER came together, the Underberg ritual has been an integral part of band life. Whether after a long and successful day in the recording studio or during a concert tour – the iconic mini bottles have their designated place in the so-called “band shrine.” This routine was specially honoured by the Underberg family on the occasion of the band’s 25th anniversary: Emil Underberg gifted the musicians a cake made of 100 Underberg bottles (Four x 25), presented by Dr. Hubertine Underberg-Ruder during the anniversary tour in 2014. And this year the band member Smudo became a big fan of the product innovation Underberg Espresso Herbtini and is proud to present it.

“It felt to all of us as the right time to tell this story.” And the creatives that followed were even largely inspired by the band themselves. Incl. the text for the campaign “small ritual – big friendship”. She continues by explaining the campaign. “The idea of ‘four seconds of silence’, which we’ve incorporated, comes from the ritual of drinking Underberg. It takes about four seconds to enjoy the ‘Kräuterpause’ (herbal break) as it takes so long for the entire liquid to pass through the narrow opening of the bottle. The band interpreted this as a moment of connection—whether with friends or within their group.”

‘’It’s no longer about one-way marketing messages; it’s about brand dialogue. For me, the idea is to turn customers into fans—fans are enthusiastic and spread the word.”

AI and Creative Development

The Underberg company also integrates AI tools to refine concepts and enhance social media content. “We use AI mainly for content creation. For example, we develop verbal concepts—summarising marketing ideas in consumer-friendly language—and then use AI to visualise those ideas. It helps us test whether our concepts are focused and consistent. Additionally, for social media, some of our posts, like recipes, are AI-driven. It’s a fast, effective tool for generating quality content and improving collaboration with our agencies.”

EXPANDING HORIZONS: FROM LOCAL HERITAGE TO INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

While deeply rooted in Germany, the brand Underberg has made impressive strides internationally in markets like the Nordics, Switzerland and Austria, where the German origin is often less emphasised, and the brand’s iconic small bottle and wrapping serve as its primary selling point.

Underberg’s quirky, ritualistic appeal resonates especially with Danes, with Denmark emerging as its second-largest market. “In Denmark, Underberg isn’t marketed as a German brand. Instead, its appeal lies in the iconic bottle, the wrapping, and the ritual that surrounds it. There’s also a playful, humorous side to the brand, like referring to it as “the small difference in friendship,” Vera explains. For Asbach the focus shifts internationally to craftsmanship and barrel-aged quality products. The brand is positioned even more premium compared to Germany, where it’s associated increasingly with cola-mixed long drinks.

On a company level, Vera sees more future opportunities for value-based marketing. “The Underberg family has a philosophy of sustainability and responsibility, summed up in the term “Enkelfähigkeit” (suitable for grandchildren). It’s about acting responsibly with future generations in mind. While we already incorporate these values at a corporate level, there’s potential to communicate them more actively as part of our brand stories,” she says.

“Our principle ‘Enkelfähigkeit’ is about acting responsibly with future generations in mind. While we already incorporate these values at a corporate level, there’s potential to communicate them more actively as part of our brand stories.”