BUSINESS
Leading in
Western Europe
HEINEKEN is Western Europe's largest and highest profile brewer. It has market leadership
in the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands, and is the number two player in six other
Eurozone countries. Comparing like with like, year on year, HEINEKEN's 2010 earnings
grew by 17% in Western Europe, reflecting portfolio development, award-level marketing,
significant cost savings and innovative ways of winning with its consumers and customers.
T
hrough leveraging the
takeover of Scottish and
Newcastle in 2008, which
doubled the company's size in Europe,
HEINEKEN has been able to retain its
leading position and strengthen its
brand portfolio in Western Europe in
the face of sector-wide challenges such
as increased health consciousness, an
ageing population, and difficult market
conditions which have been exacerbated
by the economic crisis.
"The changing nature of the beer market
and the transition to becoming the clear
market leader in most Western European
markets, led us, in 2010, to carry out an
extensive analysis of the way we operate,"
explains HEINEKEN's Regional President
for Western Europe, Didier Debrosse.
Growing Business
"A team of colleagues looked for
opportunities not only to grow our market
share, but to also help our customers
reverse the decline of the beer market. A
number of these initiatives, all of which
place the consumer and the customer
at the centre, are currently being piloted
or rolled-out across Western Europe.
They will help both HEINEKEN and its
customers grow their business."
Developing Global Brands
"We identified key global brands that
would help us to grow our presence in
specific segments," adds Didier. "After a
year of behind-the-scenes work, ensuring
supply availability and consumer research
for the correct positioning, the first of
these global brand propositions have
been thoroughly researched and are
now being rolled out in Europe.
"Cider was seen as a key
opportunity for attracting new
customers, and we've recently
completed the successful
roll-out of Strongbow Gold,
a proven brand in the UK and
Italian markets. We have also
launched Desperados® in many
markets, including Spain, Portugal,
Belgium, and the Netherlands,
building on a solid and proven business
model from France. We will continue to
invest in the Desperados® brand team to
support targeted launches and accelerate
growth in existing markets."
Increasing Share
The Heineken® brand lies at the heart
of many recent strategic initiatives. It
has demonstrated the strength and
value of its leadership position within
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