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
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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
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