Our regional portfolio approach is
focused on extending the Heineken
brand's leadership of the international
premium beer segment and building
volume and value for Tiger, Asia's
leading beer brand.
The Tiger brand reaffirmed its strong
position in its market. It adds to
a strong portfolio of beer brands in
order to succeed in the world's most
dynamic beer market.
Singapore
Tiger continued to enjoy clear market leadership
in Singapore while Heineken showed excellent
growth as it drove the fast-developing international
premium category. A strong multi-brand beer
portfolio is integral to our success in this highly
demanding, competitive and sophisticated market.
Despite strong competition and the entry of
several new brands, volume grew by 1 percent.
New packaging for Heineken consumers, namely
the Ito aluminium bottle found in premium bars
id the 5 litre DraughtKeg, successfully retained
ie interest of many consumers.
alaysia
3IT grew by 3 percent despite weak consumer
mtiment brought about by new excise duty
creases that caused volume to decline by
percent. However, strong marketing strategies
id campaigns as well as fresh new packaging
ive resulted in market share growth for our
agship brands namely Tiger and Heineken.
eineken is the undisputed leader in the premium
gment while Tiger continued to outperform
e market by maintaining close associations with
usic and football.
China
Revenues in China rose slightly as positive volume
growth provided a good counterbalance against
a negative trend in price mix. In China, the largest
and one of the fastest-growing beer markets in the
world in terms of volume, the organic growth of our
portfolio was double-digit. The Heineken brand
is particularly well-placed to grow market share
in China as increasing prosperity is leading to more
on-trade business and to a tendency towards trading
up to premium brands. Tiger Crystal Lite®, a variant
of Tiger that is specifically created for the China
market, was launched in October 2004. As of the
beginning of 2005, we operate in China uniquely
through our 46.1 percent stake in Heineken-APB,
which controls 13 breweries of which three are not
yet operational.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, Heineken is the number one premium
beer, showing double-digit growth in sales in the
past 5 years thanks to strong marketing and a global
brand reputation. Likewise, overall volumes grew
by 11 percent, strongly supporting the top-line
trend. With a brewery each entrenched in both the
northern and southern parts of Vietnam, our brands
are well-placed to meet the demands of the growing
beer market.
Heineken N.V. - Annual Report 2005