The biggest mistake I made in my career – and one that eventually led to one of my greatest successes – was related to the launch of Harnaś – a Carlsberg Poland beer brand inspired by a traditional Polish highlander hero, a symbol of pride and strength. And today one of the most popular beers in the country.
The story goes back to 2002. While analyzing Carlsberg Group’s beer portfolio in Poland, I realized that products under the iconic Okocim brand were positioned too far apart.
Okocim Mocne was in the premium segment, Okocim (green label) in mainstream, and Okocim Light (blue label) in the economy segment.
That lack of consistency was hurting the image of the entire brand.
I decided to withdraw the blue-label variant. But since its sales were still significant, we chose to replace it with a new brand.
To keep some visual continuity, the new label was to remain blue.
In February 2003, the creative agency presented several name options.
One of them was Harnaś.
We immediately felt its potential – short, strong, and naturally associated with pride, strength, and local character.
Research confirmed our intuition – some consumers even said it could compete with the strongest brand in Poland – Żywiec.
The brand was designed to target so-called “beer-bodies” – blue-collar men who often felt undervalued and were looking for respect and recognition among peers.
At that time, none of beer brands spoke to them in an aspirational way.
After presenting the results and my recommendation to the board, the debate started: should we launch the brand as soon as possible, or wait until we were 100% ready?
I argued for proper preparation.
But the decision was made: “Let’s go before the season.”
I agreed – and that was my mistake.
The campaign launched in June.
Everything looked promising – the sales curve was even steeper than the one that made Dębowe Mocne a success.
But in September, Harnaś sales started to drop sharply.
We didn’t know why.
Then, the new brand manager, suggested an innovative direct research with consumers.
The result was surprising: the beer colour was too light, and many respondents said bluntly that “it looks like piss.”
How did that happen?
The brewers – without consulting marketing – had filled the first batch with a different beer than the approved recipe.
And that’s how it stayed.
After changes in the recipe and packaging, the relaunch delivered great results.
Harnaś became one of the best-selling beers in Carlsberg’s Polish portfolio and one of the top beer brands in Poland today.
I still think back to that decision.
If it hadn’t been for that mistake, I might never have realized how crucial the small details are in a brand launch – and how costly it can be to rush things.
These are the kinds of lessons I bring to my consulting projects and executive trainings – because in marketing, the most valuable insights come from real-life experience.
