17
HEINEKEN N.V. ANNUAL REPORT 2008
As a premium beer brand that embraces quality over
quantity, Heineken seeks to promote a responsible drinking
culture. This became an even more visible component of
our communications strategy in 2008, with the launch of our
international interactive 'Know The Signs' campaign.
This initiative aims to raise awareness around responsible
alcohol consumption among beer drinkers. It introduces five
archetypal drinkers who have consumed too much alcohol:
the crier, the groper, the exhibitionist, the sleeper, and the
fighter. By showing the behavioural patterns of the five,
Heineken helps audiences identify the first signs of
inappropriate behaviour and encourages more responsible
drinking.
Another example of our commitment to addressing this
issue was the decision to promote the 'responsible drinking'
tagline on promotional boards at UEFA Champions League
matches. The UEFA Champions League is our main
sponsorship platform and in 2008 we announced the
renewal of our contract for a further three years through
to the end of the 2011/12 season. The Heineken brand has
been associated with this prestigious club tournament
since 2005. With over 140 million TV viewers watching live
coverage of the UEFA Champions League in almost every
country in the world, this global sporting event has become
synonymous with the Heineken brand. The partnership with
UEFA will continue to add value to the Heineken brand and
underlines our commitment to extending our leadership
within the premium beer segment.
Heineken will also continue its strategy of bringing the UEFA
Champions League closer to the fans. Over the last two
seasons, Heineken has taken the famous UEFA Champions
League Trophy on a tour through Latin America and Asia,
giving fans a unique opportunity to see this famous sporting
icon first-hand. In 2008, over 350 fans, competing in the
Heineken Star Final Competition, attended the UEFA
Champions League Final in Moscow and more than 150
consumers, who participated in the competition, watched
the final match at a Grand Safari Location in South Africa,
as part of the Heineken Star Final competition. Furthermore,
the Heineken Back Stadium Pass gave a few lucky fans an
opportunity to watch the warm-up from the pitch-side just
before the game started.
We have also become known for our creative use of film to
enhance the profile of the Heineken brand among our target
consumers. In 2008, a worldwide promotional campaign
for the 22nd James Bond film, 'Quantum of Solace', was
launched in 40 countries. The film, which was released
worldwide in November 2008, is Heineken's fifth consecutive
global partnership with one of the most successful and
longest-running movie franchises. The campaign included TV
and print advertising, on- and off-premise promotions and
interactive and digital activities.
-A Heineken KnowTheSigns
These major global activities were complemented by
numerous initiatives at a local level that successfully
associated the Heineken brand with music and music events.
Strengthening the Heineken brand by improving the quality
and consistency of our communications whilst leveraging our
global presence and brand activation properties remains a
key priority.
Volume continues to be a key factor in benefiting from
scale efficiencies, whilst a disciplined approach to growing
value and 'innovation for profit' is essential for our business
to stay relevant. This has been built into our marketing
approach in an economic environment where efficiency
and effectiveness will be even more important than before.
Brand and portfolio-building competencies form the
backbone of all our marketing efforts wherever we apply
them. We seek to maximise the intrinsic value of our
portfolios, whilst retaining the advantages of volume scale.
We manage different combinations of portfolios across
our operating companies. These are made up of both
international and domestic premium and mainstream
brands, driven by a global strategic approach. This approach
is then locally adapted, based on local consumer relevancy
in order to continually increase the value of our portfolios.
At the same time we constantly assess international and
local emerging opportunities via an in-depth understanding
of our consumer and customer needs. It is vital that our
marketers speak the same language across all markets
and have the competencies and the tools to do this.
Enhancing the effectiveness and consistency of our sales
and marketing teams will remain a top priority. We will
continue to assess the development of our marketing,
trade-marketing and sales people worldwide, based on
the implementation of functional competencies.
