Brazilian Beer Gets a Boost
Following Heineken's acquisition of the FEMSA beer business, its Coca-Cola business
partners in Brazil were invited to meet with the new Fleineken Brasil management
team. Those attending the conference in September had one clear goal: to capture the
opportunities that the Brazilian beer business presents to suppliers and distributors alike.
Heineken
Brasil
World of Heineken 43 - winter 2010
The event was not only an opportunity for business partners to
get to know the Heineken company better, but also an opportunity
for Heineken Brasil to understand key concerns and issues among
distributors. Jorge Kowalski, Sales Director Heineken Brasil, saw this
as "the very foundations in the process of building an effective beer
partnership".
He added, "The conference was key to ensuring that we don't lose
the momentum generated by the increased presence of Heineken in
Brazil and to help us increase our growth rate in the market."
Since the acquisition of FEMSA's beer business this year, Heineken
Brasil has been hard at work developing a proposal for improving
routes to market, and this was an important first step in gaining
commitment to the proposal. With time and dedication, Heineken
believes that this new approach offers added value to all involved.
Neuri Pereira, Vice President of SPAIPA, a Coca-Cola Franchisee
operation in Brazil, was not alone in her enthusiasm for this proactive
approach. "I had expected to see a 'buffer plan' for an interim period
while Heineken worked to align strategies following the acquisition.
But this was not the case. The conference was organised with great
enthusiasm and a clear vision," she said.
The clear message throughout the event was that Heineken is not
only committed to Brazil today, but to competing in the long term.
It was widely acknowledged that Heineken is in a strong position to
contribute know-how to grow volume, capability for developing new
markets and expertise for strengthening brands.
Ricardo Vontobel, President of the Coca-Cola Brazilian Bottlers
Association, shared this optimistic sentiment, adding: "We have a
great opportunity in Brazil to develop a consistent mid- and long-
term strategy for the beer business. We have the know-how of a
great company from the sector to help consolidate our position with
strong brands and increased market share. The workshop served
as a platform to get to know each other, exchange ideas, align our
perspectives and establish a winning relationship model for our
business' future," he said.
Aristarco Neto, CEO of Grupo Simöes, a business conglomerate
operating in the north of Brazil, also acknowledged the need to work
together in true partnership in order to gain the most value. He said:
"I would like to emphasise that the commitment for brewers and
bottlers to work in partnership, to seek solutions to current and future
challenges is welcomed by us."
The new Heineken Brasil Management Team
strengthening the partnership with Coca-Cola
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