Pearls in the
portfolio
Heineken Beer has been the most-sold import
beer in the U.S. for decades. No wonder, then, that
Van Munching devotes a lot of attention to its
jewel in the crown. But the other brands are also
pearls in the portfolio; Amstel Light, Buckler,
Murphy's Irish Stout, each and every one of them
strong brands which have alreatiy built up a posi
tion on the beer market (Amstel Light) or are busy
making rapid advances in the non-alcohol and
stout segments.
Amstel Light, introduced in 1980,
was not instantly a resounding
success. At the end of the 1970s
Leo van Munching Jr. observed that
an imported light beer would have a
good chance of success in the U.S. In
the mid-1970s a local light beer had
been put on the market and that was
developing favorably, so why not an
imported light beer? The Heineken
brewers set to work and developed a
light beer with 95 calories and an
alcohol content of 3.5%. It was decid
ed to market the new beer under the
Amstel brand name and not under the
Heineken name, given the risk of can-
nibalisation of the Heineken brand.
During its first three years Amstel
Light showed steady, but slow
growth. According to Leo van
Munching Jr., the slow start was due
to the fact that a completely new seg
ment had to be developed. Slowly but
surely, the American consumer start
ed to appreciate the full-bodied fla
vor of the imported light beer. The
advertising campaign based on the
slogan '95 calories never tasted so
imported' contributed to the product's
success. By the end of the 1980s
Amstel Light had not only gained
market leadership in the import light
segment but also held a proud sev
enth place in the top ten rankings of
imported beers.
In the past two years a major com
petitive battle has arisen between the
light beers of the local breweries,
resulting in a big price war.
According to the distributor, Boening
Brothers in New York, the price com
petition between the local light beers
has squeezed the growth of Amstel
Light. "The image of Amstel Light is
excellent, but many of the activities of
other local brands have not done
Amstel Light any good."
In recent years light beer has
changed in the consumer's percep
tion. Van Munching's Vice-President
Marketing, Chris Vuyk: "Traditionally,
the lower calorie count was the main
reason for drinking a light beer. In
the past few years that has changed.
Light beer has become a modern
'party beer' because you can drink
more of it. We are currently assessing
the implications for the Amstel Light
communication."
Murphy's
Just like Amstel Light, Murphy's
Irish Stout - launched in the U.S. in
1991 - got off to a slow start. Chris
Vuyk can, however, see plenty of
opportunities for Murphy's Irish Stout
and is optimistic about the future of
Murphy's: "It is potentially a strong
brand. We are now particularly strong
in the Irish American community.
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
