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16 Report of the Executive Board
Operational review continued
Premium Light was fuelled by strong repeat
purchase, and the expansion of packaging choices
for consumers with the launch of a 'slim' can and a
5-litre DraughtKeg.
2007 was another very successful year for
DraughtKeg. This unique 5-litre 'go anywhere'
draught system provides an exciting beer
experience to share with friends. Driven by the
strong volume growth, in 2007 the focus was on
up-scaling the DraughtKeg supply chain and rolling
out systems to more markets. As a result,
DraughtKeg is now selling in 94 markets.
Since the launch of BeerTender, the genuine home
draught beer experience, more than 300,000
appliances have been sold worldwide.In 2007,
Heineken successfully combined DraughtKeg and
BeerTender innovations with a unique one-way
DraughtKeg for BeerTender. Based on the positive
results in France, this innovation was launched
in Greece and piloted in the USA. In 2008,
other countries will follow. Innovations such as
DraughtKeg and BeerTender, clearly differentiate
Heineken from our competitors.
Impressively, the Heineken brand grew volume,
value and share across all regions, further
strengthening its position as the only truly
international premium beer. Of particular note is
the double-digit growth achieved by Central and
Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific. This now
provides a very positive balance to the brand's
already strong performance in more mature
markets. The growth and higher contribution of
the Heineken brand continues to be an important
driver of our profitability and our outperformance
of the sector.
Innovation, research and development
Innovation continues to contribute considerably
to top-line growth. In 2007, volume growth from
innovation grew more than 80% and total volume
from innovation passed 1.2 million hectolitres. In
its first full year of sales, the growth of Heineken
