THE HEINEKEN COMPANY
by combining the marketing and sale of the Heineken
brand with that of strong local brands.
Because we attach great value to consistency of
brand perception at both trade and consumer level,
especially with regard to the Heineken brand, our
overall brand identity strategy and the related guide
lines covering such aspects as packaging, sponsor
ship and advertising are formulated centrally. Local
marketing expertise is developed through training
programmes, regular consultation and internal
workshops and conferences. The findings of regular
brand perception surveys serve as input to a continu
ous process of refining our marketing strategy and
developing new attributes. The findings of best-
practice reviews of our operating companies around
the world are communicated immediately to market
ing personnel in other countries.
1.2 Vision of sustainability
Three cores values have been central to our company
since the beginning: respect, enjoyment and a
passion for quality. These core values have been a key
factor in Heineken's growth and will continue to
underpin our growth in the future. Sustainable quality
is the yardstick by which we judge both our beers and
our financial results. Heineken's goal is a place among
the top three companies in the brewing industry in
terms of sustainability. Our breweries produce beers
of high quality, which are marketed worldwide with
respect for local communities and the environment.
Sustainable quality is also the criterion by which we
judge the working conditions provided for Heineken
personnel and the contribution they make to the
community.
In the community
Representing many nationalities and cultures within
the organisation, Heineken has a place at the centre
of the community and its performance depends
directly on the continuity of that community. At
Heineken, we therefore make every effort to ensure
that our current activities preserve the freedom of
choice of other members of the community, now and
in the future. Our policy is consistent with the defini
tion of 'sustainability' as first formulated in 1987 by
the World Commission on Environment and
Development, better known as the 'Brundtland
Committee'.
The three core values are applied to Heineken's
current activities and to its economic, environmental
and social sustainability programmes, three dimen
sions which are strategically important for Heineken.
Our programmes are based on the Guidelines for
Multinational Enterprises formulated by the Organi
sation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD). Examples of how these principles have been
applied in practice within our organisation range
from more efficient use of materials and resources
and the establishment of a health centre at one of
our breweries to the promotion of environmentally-
aware practices and responsible alcohol use and
compliance with human rights in the countries in
which we do business.
Integral element
Striving for sustainability is an integral element in our
operations, which requires us systematically to main
tain a dialogue with stakeholders and to define and
implement programmes and other measures in the
light of that dialogue. This is the foundation on which
the legitimacy and continuity of our company is built.
Heineken wants these programmes and other meas
ures to be visible and measurable, which means
adopting a transparent communication policy for
the various target groups: employees, consumers,
shareholders, non-governmental organisations, the
international media and other interested parties.
This report is an expression of that policy. We take
the view that transparent internal and external dia
logue yields the best management information and
will ultimately result in more sustainable perform
ance, an even stronger corporate reputation and
positive brand associations.
1.3 Corporate governance
While Heineken N.V. endorses the principles of the
Corporate Governance Code of the Dutch Corporate
Governance Committee and expects to be able to
implement virtually all of its provisions in time with
out difficulty, the structure of the group, and in
HEINEKEN N.V. SUSTA INABILITY REPORT 2 002-2 00 3
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