Switching ON
communication
partnerships
TRENDS INNOVATIONS
World of Heineken 37 Winter 2007/2008
Almost three years ago,
Heineken and Sony announced
a unique partnership, when the
two multinationals teamed up
to establish an interactive club
and bar TV network for high-end
outlets across the Netherlands.
KPN, Holland's national telecom
provider, bought a majority
share in the venture, called ON,
in April 2006. The investment
has led to an extensive rollout
of the initiative; ON is now the
largest on-premise interactive
TV network in all of Europe.
"At the moment we are broadcasting live in
more than 500 outlets in the Netherlands,"
says Eric Verhage, Operations Director at
ON. "And that number continues to grow by
the week. Our ultimate goal is to rollout this
platform in other international markets.
We have just finished a pilot testing the
technology for Heineken France. From the
pilot we learned that we should become
more independent of infrastructure and
develop a fully internet-based platform.
This will mean that every outlet can enjoy
ON without heavy investments in the outlet
infrastructure, whether it is in Tokyo or
Amsterdam."
ON provides outlet managers with an
attractive marketing tool: high-quality
broadcasting 24 hours a day on premium
plasma screens. Content is varied, ranging
from atmospheric films and music clips to
news and entertainment. The platform also
provides outlets with the opportunity to
interact with consumers via SMS, BlueTooth
and interactive games.
"Over the years, ON has evolved beyond
narrow-casting into a comprehensive
marketing and communications platform,"
says Verhage. "Outlet managers have
total control over the content they wish to
feature on their screens, with a choice of
nine different channels broadcasting news,
lifestyle and entertainment content. At the
same time, ON technology allows outlet
owners to advertise and promote their
own internal announcements and events,
communicating with their customers via
SMS."
Bar and club managers can also stimulate
and create extra traffic, which is beneficial
both for them as well as for the brewery. In
this way, Heineken becomes more than a
supplier of beer to its customers. ON gives
it a role as a genuine business partner by
helping to improve customers' competitive
position while aligning their interest with
the bar and club owners.
EricVerhage@thisison.com
40
