2003 in Retrospect Amstel, one of the top ten international beer brands, markets a selection of other beers in addition to lager, including low- calorie Amstel Light and speciality beers Amstel Gold, Amstel 1870, Amstel Bright and Amstel Bockbier. This makes the brand attractive to a broad target group and it is successful in many markets. Amstel Light has built a strong position in the US, where growth in the beer mark et slowed in 2003 due to poor weather, the economic downturn and the war in Iraq. At the end of the year, Amstel Light was launched in New Zealand, where the evolving light beer segment offers good opportunities. Total Amstel sales in millions of hectolitres 12 11 10 9 Oh O I CM CO Oh O O O O Oh O O O O TH cm cm cm cm Marketing and communication As with Heineken, increased use was made of uniform tools for marketing and communication for the Amstel brand. In many of its major markets, such as Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and the US, Amstel is known for its powerful, high-impact advertising campaigns. Amstel sponsorship Practically all of Amstel's sponsorship activities are sports-related. Through its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious tournament for European football clubs, Amstel reached a massive audience: the final alone was watched by a TV audience of 500 million. At a major PR event linked to the final between Juventus and AC Milan, Amstel welcomed thousands of fans to 'The World's Largest Living Room', complete with a chair 8m tall, a sofa 18m long, a TV with a 32m2 screen and a 10m standard lamp. In this giant living room in the centre of Manchester, Amstel did its best to make the fans feel at home as they tensely awaited the kick-off. A special tour was laid on for 1,500 journalists, which ensured that the event generated plenty of publicity in important markets. As well as the UEFA Champions League, Amstel also sponsors the Amstel Gold Race, a international classic cycle race run each year in the Netherlands. Amstel's sponsorship of major football and cycling events reinforce its image as a popular European beer in the mainstream segment. Research and Development Research and development are the basis of innovation and therefore have stra tegic importance for Heineken. Much of the R&D activity is carried out locally, but coordination is centralised. The R&D programme covers the entire supply chain, from the evaluation of new and improved strains of barley and hops to the development of new products and packaging. On many projects, Heineken works closely with other companies, suppliers, research institutes and univer sities around the world. An important strategic priority at present is the introduction of new draught beer dispensing systems. Fleineken foresees good opportunities in the coming years to increase the share of draught beer in both the on-trade and take-home segments. The added value of draught beer, in terms of flavour and in the drawing and serving ritual, generates higher net sales margins than beer in bottle or can. Working in conjunction with partners, Fleineken was the first brewer in the world to develop systems to make draught beer at home an attractive option for many REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 19

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 2003 | | pagina 25