THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
sales and there are all sorts of very popular sales promotion
activities in which small Heineken prizes such as T-shirts can be
won. Other publicity media such as billboards or TV advertising
are not used by Heineken. Except, that is, for the enormous neon
sign directly opposite the parliament building. At night that
advertising sign is such a big eye-catcher that a phone call came
in from someone within the parliament building: "The letter 'e'
isn't working. Let someone fix it."
Nightlife in Moscow has really taken off in the past few years,
thanks to the growth of the economy and the more liberal spending
habits of the Muscovites. Everywhere trendy restaurants/bars are
opened. One of them is café Pyramida, which opened its doors
two years ago and soon proved a popular venue for students. The
restaurant has an Egyptian-style décor and it conveys a brand
image that is an exception for Heineken, as Heineken Beer is only
sold there in bottles. But Alexei Alexeichik has no regrets:
"The bottle puts across a more powerful brand image and that's
very important in Pyramida."
Heineken's most important customer in Moscow is a chain of
restaurants comprising some thirty outlets. Many of these restau
rants specialise in traditional Russian food, others are highly
up-market and exclusive. Those thirty restaurants account for as
much as ten per cent of Heineken draught sales in the capital.
