More attention for
customer wishes
Sales promotion department changes course
In recent years the change of direction has become
clear to see; increasing competition is forcing the
brewer to stop backing just the one horse (advertising).
Sales promotion articles are becoming ever more
important for putting the message across to the con
sumer.
Advertising and sales promotion
form a natural duo. Both of
them are instruments used to
win consumer favour. No wonder, then,
that the sales promotion activities of
Heineken form part of the advertising
department.
John Zentveld plays a co-ordinat
ing role within sales promotion. He
checks out the wishes of agents and
operating companies as to their feasi
bility and then finds out whether there
are also others who are interested in
the relevant article. He is also involved
in putting the ideas into practice.
Catalogues
The growing importance of sales
promotion within the communication
strategy called for a different working
method on the part of Zentveld and his
colleagues. Until recently three cata
logues were published each year: for
Heineken, Amstel, and Buckler. The
1991 catalogues, which came off the
presses a short time ago, have already
been modified somewhat in line with
the new approach.
'We wanted a clearer differentia
tion between the three brands. For
example, we have made the sales pro
motion articles for Heineken more pre
mium. Besides that, the Buckler
articles have been given their own
identity: young, fresh, sporting', says
Zentveld. For Heineken and Amstel
separate catalogues have been pro
duced for the clothing articles. These
catalogues can be used for two years
because the clothes ranges of the cor
porate brands are not highly sensitive
to fashion trends and change less
quickly than the selection of sales pro
motion articles.
The new catalogues are sub
divided into four headings: the beer
related articles, the Point of Sale
material (both indoor and outdoor), the
cheap give-aways, and the more exclu
sive gift articles. The beer related
articles, such as bar dispenser units,
drip mats and glasses, are most in
demand, with P.O.S. material (posters,
neon signs, parasols, wall signs, etc.)
running them a close second.
In the new catalogues attempts
have also been made to ensure that
sales promotion articles link up better
with the image of the relevant brand.
Wishes
A further change in the approach is
the more limited supply of standard
sales promotion articles and the
nuiiH'uft
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
