...taking Heineken
to the Next Level...
...Heineken has more than doubled in size...
...not with the hectolitres but with
the profitability of those hectolitres
Particularly in bleaker economic times it is important to keep the
organisation and the brand as vital as possible. According to
Thony Ruys, innovation is a critical factor in this process. He regards
the David Dispense System (see elsewhere in this issue) as an
excellent response to the improved understanding of smaller
outlets. A draft system that appears simple but that took a great
deal of hard work. "The aluminium bottle in France is another
good example. That is the ultimate result of a survey showing that
people in nightclubs do not regard beer as trendy - not so much
because of the product but more its presentation. Innovation is
not just positive for the impact and image of the brand. You are
also demonstrating that as an organisation you are open to change.
At the same time, however, we need to keep in mind that we are
working in a six thousand year-old industry. That means that we
must be aware of our limitations with respect to consumer wishes,
raw materials and ethics."
A great deal more room for local and regional brands has been
created in the tighter implementation of the strategy. Swapping a
strong mainstream brand for Amstel after an acquisition is no
longer a standard procedure. "From the acquisitions in the past
we have learned that local brands can also fit in with changing
popular taste. If you see an opportunity for a brand like Moretti,
you must seize it. We are now looking at the entire brand portfolio
and determining whether we can, for example, use the Amstel
brand. For Heineken the situation is clear. The brand has demon
strated that almost everywhere the combination with a top main
stream brand means an enrichment."
For Heineken in the year 2003, responsible entrepreneurship is
an important consideration. "It means in specific terms that we
deal responsibly with our raw materials. I am thinking particularly
of water. Heineken has succeeded in reducing its water
consumption per hectolitre of beer by a further fifteen per cent
over the past three years. Responsible entrepreneurship also
means how we treat our staff in difficult areas, our commitment
to colleagues in Africa and programmes we are developing for hiv
and aids patients. And we also accept our responsibility when it
comes to the responsible use of alcohol. The least we can do is to
make our staff aware that they must deal with alcohol in a
responsible manner. We do not want our sales people to be
raising a glass with the client early in the day after a deal has
been concluded." Heineken has therefore set up a worldwide
programme under which the staff are being made aware of the
need for responsible alcohol use.
