Packaging
It In
corporate Social Responsibility
JULY 2003
day-to-day life than in, say, Europe, where public transport is
more widely available."
"You must never underestimate the impact of packaging. Packaging
governs how the product is perceived. It has to meet the expec
tations of the consumer. The range of beers that are available in
the United States is extremely wide, which makes the visibility of
your brand enormously important. If you want to differentiate your
product in this highly competitive market, you have to meet a
number of essential requirements: you must be unique, authentic
and relevant," says Packaging Development Director Marjan Falek.
In her office in White Plains she is surrounded by many different
types of packs, both Heineken brands and those of competitors.
There are a few packs that really catch the eye. Above all, the
aluminum bottle (see elsewhere in this issue of the World of
Heineken), which was developed by Brasseries Heineken in France.
In the summer of 2003 this bottle will be tested as to its accept
ance in trendy outlets in New York, Miami and Boston.
She also proudly displays Heineken in the PET bottle. This plastic
bottle is sold solely in the summer months in sports stadiums, but
Marjan Falek can see other occasions when the plastic bottle might
prove a useful alternative. "For instance, it could be used at music
events or in beach outlets or in other locations where glass
bottles or cans are not permitted." Heineken is the first imported
brand to put a PET bottle on the market.
Heineken USA has been using another tool to get close to the market. As part of its Corporate
Social Responsibility activities, Heineken USA has targeted a community involvement programme
that includes sponsorship of programmes and events in key customer communities located in key
markets. "In the United States especially our own and other research shows clearly that these
types of activities help sell products," says Dan Tearno, Vice President of Corporate Affairs. "It's an
accepted and common practice in the USA that companies 'give back' to the communities who
support them."
Enhancing Corporate Reputation is seen more and more as an integral part of business success in
the United States. The Environics studies of 1999 and 2001, in which Heineken N.V. participated,
show that consumers want to feel good about the companies they purchase from and that the
company's reputation is even more important than that of its brands.
For the past five quarters, Heineken USA has been including Corporate Reputation and other
similar measures in its quarterly tracking research. Benchmarking against other major US brewers
and beer importers, Heineken USA has exhibited the highest marks for Corporate Reputation in the
survey in all five quaters and has been recognized for its efforts. In 2002, the company received the
Westchester County Business Ethics Award and was one of five finalists for the National Award,
given by the National Society of Financial Service Professionals. Heineken USA was inducted into
the Westchester County Business Hall of Fame, in recognition of its Corporate Citizenship efforts.
In January 2003, Heineken USA became the Founding Partner for the Louis Stokes Urban Health Policy Fellows Programme,
a programme of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Pictured at the announcement in Washington are (left to
right): Sergio Barrios, Industry and Government Affairs Manager West at Heineken USA, Louis Stokes, former Congressman,
Dan Tearno, Vice President Corporate Affairs at Heineken USA, Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christiansen,
Chair of the Caucus' Health Brain trust, Ernest McFadden, Industry and Government Affairs Manager (East) at Heineken USA
and Weldon Rougeau, President Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
