3 SPECIAL RULES FOR TRADE WITH NORTHERN EUROPE IN BRIEF Heineken Belgium visits Bokma in Leeuwarden Classes in the north There are few areas in the world where the sale of beer is bound by such strict and complicated rules as in Scandinavia. Achat with area marketing manager M. Jansen and area export manager E. Bakker made it clear to us that in the North of Europe Heineken has to contend with highly detailed rules. Rules which stem from the alcohol discouragement policies of the governments there. A bird's eye view of the four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland). Norway Sweden SINGAPORE UNITED STATES UNITED KINGDOM Finland Regular visits are essential for good cooperation. Some months ago the visitors were Mr. K. Sharf (2nd from right), executive vice president of the KF concern, the parent company of Warby, ana Mr. G. Burman (3rd from left), Warby's managing director. Pictured with them -from left to right- are: Mr. G.J. Vuyk, regional marketing director Europe, Mr. A. A. Ve/lekoop, director corporate marketing and licences, Mr. G. van Schaik, vice-chairman of the Heineken Executive Board, and Mr. M. F.J. Jansen, area marketing manager Europe. Surely, a country so close to Holland as Denmark has quite a lengthy history of importing Heineken productsNot so it is only since March last year that Heineken has been present on the Danish market and then only on a modest scale. "Heineken is on sale in the better-class bars, hotels and restaurants, but only in bottles, as the Danish government does not permit the use of cans. Denmark is a leading beer-drinking nation; the annual consumption per head is 135 litres. And yet imported beers have to make do with a modest market position in Denmark", says E. Bakker. "Heineken focuses its activities strongly on the foreign tourists.They are familiar with the quality of Heineken and they account for a substantial proportion of our sales in Denmark." In Norway Heineken is brewed under licence by the Nora Group, which holds about half of the total beer market with its own brands and with Heineken.The Nora Group brews Heineken at Arendal in the south of Norway. To cut transport costs, brewing of Heineken was also started Both in Scandinavia and in Finland beer is subdivided into classes.These classes are based on the alcohol percentage of each type of beer. But. these percentages in turn differ in each country. In Swedenfor example Amstel is sold in classes 2 and 3. Class 2 in Sweden means that the alcohol percentage is between 1.8 and 2.8 per cent by weight. In Finland, however, the most popular beer is that in class 3, with an alcohol content equivalent to between 3 and 3.7 per cent. The subdivision into classes often governs the permitted degree of distribution. The 'lower' classes of beer, for instance, are allowed to be sold in supermarkets. And beers with a higher alcohol percentage are only obtainable in the state monopoly stores.The classification is also used as a basis for calculating the excise duty. Ahigher alcohol percentage automatically means higher duty. six months ago in Oslo, the area which has the main concentration of beer consumption. In Norway there is a ban on advertising beverages in the alcohol category in which Heineken is classified. Except for drinks in class I (low-alcohol beer), no consumer advertising is allowed at all. One of the few forms of advertising that Heineken is then left with is that offered by in-store displays. Heineken is represented in Sweden by Following the introduction of shares in Malayan Breweries Ftd. by both Heineken N. V. and Frazer Neave Ltd., a separate holding company has been formed in which both partners have a 50% stake.The new holding company has given further structure to the joint venture with Frazer Neave Ltd. which has already existed for dozens of years. The present financial interest of Heineken N.V. in Malayan Breweries Ltd. in Singapore (42.2%) will not change because of the establishment of this new holding company. In November last year Amstel Light was again the beer that was served during the Virginia Slims women's tennis championships.The tournament was held in Madison Square Garden in New York and the contestants included Martina Navratilova (who easily beat West Germany's Steffi Graf in the final) and Hana Mandlikova. Amstel Light is brewed in the Amstel Breweries in Canada and is imported into the United States by Van Munching Co. Inc. The Executive Board announced on 1st December 1986 that its long standing relationship with Whitbread and Company PLC in London had been rearranged as a result of changed market circumstances. Whitbread produces and sells Heineken lager under licence in the United Kingdom. Under this new arrangement Heineken will thus acquire an interest of about 1% in Whitbread's capital. Mr. A.H. Heineken will join the Whitbread Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. The importance that both companies attach to effective, long-term co operation on the U.K. market is further underlined by this rearrangement. Amstel beer, which is brewed under licence by the Warby Brewery near Stockholm, and by Heineken beer, which is imported. "In Sweden, too, advertising for alcoholic drinks is subject to stringent regulations. Such advertising is banned on television or radio, whilst only limited advertising is allowed in the press.The advertisement must refer entirely to the product itself; for example, we're not allowed to use illustrations of people drinking beer", says M. JansenUnlike DenmarkSweden is a 'country of cans'. Some 90% of the total volume of Amstel is sold in cans. The tremendous popularity of the can has led to the introduction of a deposit money system. All Swedish supermarkets have special can- crushing machines. If you throw in a can, you get a ticket which you can cash in at the check-out desk.The brewery pulverises the cans and sends the material back to the manufacturer for recycling into new cans. Sweden's eastern neighbour, Finland, is the latest member in the Heineken export family. For some months now, beer has been exported from Holland to the Finns - and with great success. Just like in Sweden and Norway, the government in Finland also exercises considerable control over the production, import and sale of alcoholic beverages.The Finnish state-owned company Oy Alko AB recently decided to give the consumer more choice in the area of beer. Not so long ago only two imported beer brands were available in Finland. Oy Alko AB decided to allow four extra foreign beers on to the Finnish market and Heineken was one of them. Heineken sent three containers of beer to Finland and very quickly received an order for moreobviously, the taste went down well. Heineken is now sold in Finland in the state liquor stores and bars, hotels and restaurants. Finland also has restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic drinks. Advertisements are not permitted in public newspapers or on television or radio. But trade journals are allowed to carry Heineken advertisements. Publicity is also permitted at the points of sale. The personnel of Heineken Belgium paid a two-day visit in September last year to the Bokma distillery in Leeuwarden (Holland).The programme for this informal visit included a guided tour of the distillery, a sightseeing trip around Leeuwarden, a visit to the Princessehof Museum and a boat trip across the Frisian lakes (see picture)During the dinner awards were made to a number of employees of Heineken Belgium.The Heineken Belgium personnel were given a warm welcome by director P. Bokma. ilïiü

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Heineken International Magazine | 1987 | | pagina 3