sponsoring is
in any event a long
term matter
Subtly present
Heineken is the world's most international beer brand. It is
available in more than 170 countries, each with its own specific
characteristics but also with one aspect in common: people drink
Heineken for pleasure, and at their leisure. The brand name
guarantees the quality of the beer, and sponsoring makes a
significant contribution to how that quality is perceived.
The art of brand communication has developed strongly in
recent years. The focus today is much more on the quality of the
product's use and brands seek to convey a specific perception, to
make the brand feel personally relevant to the consumer.
Consumers all over the world are increasingly showing
appreciation for businesses that make things possible. One of the
principal product perceptions of beer is 'enjoyment'. The
association fields for the Heineken brand are found in forms of
entertainment that are focused by definition on enjoyment, such
as sport, music and film. Via sponsoring Heineken makes, or helps
to make, certain events possible, and the consumer in turn
benefits from this. The sponsoring of the UEFA Champions League
by Amstel is a well-known example of integrated communication.
In sport Heineken focuses mainly on tennis, rugby and the Olympic
Games. In addition to brewing beer, Heineken's second area
of expertise is being a good host. And it is specifically that role of
host that provides added value to events. Music projects are often
selected on a local basis, since music is very much linked to the
local culture. In the area of films Heineken is mainly involved in
productions made in Hollywood, because of their international
orientation and possibilities that they offer. Heineken has, for
example, sponsored films such as James Bond, Random Hearts and
earlier this year Swordfish, with John Travolta.
"Sponsoring is an excellent instrument, both internationally and
locally, for associating yourself as a brand with the way in which
consumers spend their leisure time," explains Michael Amiabel,
Heineken International Sponsorships Manager. "It is a completely
different way of communicating compared to, say, advertising,
which interrupts you when you're watching television or
reading magazines. A sponsor makes something possible and is
an inseparable part of how a brand is perceived. Sponsoring has
developed into a market in which 23 billion dollars a year are now
spent. It is an inseparable part of Heineken's overall
communication strategy."
Sponsoring is in any event a long-term matter, believes Amiabel.
"You first have to sow before you can reap. You therefore have to
persevere for a couple of years before the results start to show
through. And it forces you to think things over properly before
entering into a long-term relationship with the other party. The
fact that this ultimately yields a lot of benefits for a brand has
meanwhile been shown by studies into the sponsoring of the UEFA
Champions League by Amstel. This revealed that brand preference
demonstrably increases amongst football fans as a result of that
association."
Mr Amiabel receives dozens of requests each week to support
organisations and temporary initiatives. "Amongst them we often
see the wildest ideas, such as a plan for cycling backwards around
the world. However original and inventive they may be, there is
not much chance that we will give our backing to such
propositions. Heineken chooses its associations deliberately, the
key factor being the quality of the brand perception."
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