18. Brand performance Our number one priority is to drive top-line growth through the creation of a global portfolio that combines the power of local and international brands and which has Heineken as the jewel in the crown. The Heineken brand was once again the world's undisputed leader among international premium beers. Its brand value continues to rank highest among all international brewers. Nevertheless, we are fully committed to fuelling growth through constant innovation, customer focus and improving our presence in developing markets. In 2005, the Heineken brand in the premium segment grew by 4.5 percent, despite the very challenging conditions in two of its key markets, France and the United States, showing strong growth in comparison with the 2004 performance. trend of wellness and health awareness. This new premium quality full-strength Amstel beer has been developed, together with an iconic packaging and a distinctively new Amstel brand concept. Among our portfolio of more than 170 international, regional and local beers, exceptional volume growth was posted by Ochota in Russia, Cristal® in Chile, Primus® in Congo and Tatra Pils® in Poland. In 2005 we increased our spending in innovation and marketing in order to reinforce our brand portfolio and to address declining beer consumption in some Western European markets. Since its introduction in the Netherlands, well over 150,000 BeerTender systems and 3 million kegs have been sold in the Netherlands. In October 2005 BeerTender was launched in Austria. Heineken N.V. - Annual Report 2005 Amstel, the third-largest international beer in Europe, is available in more than 90 markets worldwide. In addition to Amstel lager, we brew, market and distribute several Amstel beer propositions, including light beers, non-alcoholic and tastes tailored for regional markets. Amstel's positive overall performance was enhanced by rapid growth in African markets and in the Middle East. The relaunch of Amstel Light in the United States should bear fruit in 2006. With more markets to follow in 2006, Amstel introduced its new premium quality Amstel beer proposition in Russia, based on the worldwide increasing consumer appreciation for more accessible beer tastes and tapping into the global Among the investments was the renewal for a further three years of the UEFA Champions League. The Heineken brand has taken over the UEFA Champions League sponsorship from Amstel. We took the decision to switch sponsorship because the popularity of the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament has increased outside of Europe, particularly in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, and now better reflects the international premium image of Heineken. A high-quality draught BeerTender brings the enjoyment of a fresh Heineken draught beer to the homes of consumers: a unique technology that delivers the highest quality draught beer for regular home use. The appliance keeps the compact 4-litre keg at the right temperature and in an optimal condition for a period of three weeks after the first beer has been draughted.

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 2005 | | pagina 24