42. Chapter 3: The products (continued)
In the past two years understanding of, and
compliance with, our Rules and Guidelines on
responsible commercial communications has been
strengthened via presentations to management
teams and through workshops for the marketing
and sales discipline. The rules and guidelines cover
all Heineken brands marketed worldwide. At the
end of 2005 around 80 per cent of our operating
companies had trained the marketing and sales
management via workshops.
Four operating companies have reported that they
have not yet run the training programme due to
the fact that national law or the applicable self-
regulatory codes are stricter than our policies,
whereas one operating company has reported to
have done the training on the beer code of the
national beer association. This code is in line with
the Heineken Rules Guidelines. In two operating
companies the training took place in 2004. Two
operating companies are yet to perform
this activity.
In 2005, a broader group of employees in the
commercial discipline, representing around 90 per
cent of the operating companies, received an
electronic learning tool as a refresher. In 2006, our
Rules and Guidelines for Responsible Commercial
Communication will be revised, providing greater
clarity regarding the use of new media in
marketing and advertising.
Dialogue with society
Besides alcohol and work and responsible
commercial communication, the third pillar of our
Alcohol Policy stresses the need to sustain dialogue
with government and health organisations in order
to help promote responsible drinking and to help
prevent abuse.
In 2004 the Mazzle website, which provides alcohol-
related training for youngsters, was launched
together with the Dutch Ministry of Health and De
Volksbond, Rotterdam. Heineken has supported
this project.
In 2006 a school awareness programme will be
launched in Spain, the Czech Republic and the
United Kingdom, bringing together parents,
teachers and school children. This project helps
to educate children on the effects of alcohol and
is a result of cooperation between health
organisations, government and industry. The
project will be evaluated and if proven to be
successful it may, in time, be introduced in other
European countries.
The Amsterdam Group was founded in 1992 when
the issue of alcohol and society was not yet on the
agenda of the international alcoholic beverages
industry. Because European trade associations have
now become very actively involved in social issues
related to alcohol use, the Amsterdam Group was
Heineken N.V. - 2004/2005 Sustainability Report