D
WINNING WITH CONSUMERS
A Taste for
Growth
Over the past year, a dedicated HEIN EKEN team has evaluated vast
quantities of consumer, market and category trend data to identify a winning
formula that will revitalise the beer category They've narrowed it down to six
key 'growth drivers'. First trials in strategically selected accounts around the
world are confirming the opportunity is real.
u
y making consumers enthusiastic about
Itheir beer experience, whether they're
in a bar or a store, we can help grow
the sector," explains Erik van de Ven, HEINEKEN
Global Sales Capability Director. "And if we do this
well, everyone wins. The consumer and shopper are
energised, and it will bring in more business for both
the on- and off-trade. For HEINEKEN, this new vision
will contribute to us 'Winning as a Consumer-Inspired,
Customer-Oriented, Brand-Led Organisation'."
During the research phase, the HEINEKEN team
identified six key growth drivers that needed to be
addressed in order to show consumers that beer is
exciting; to bring shoppers out of the shopping hell
of messy, disorganised shelves to shopping heaven;
to show customers how our consumer insights can
add value to their business and enable HEINEKEN to
lead the way in growing the category, profitably and
sustainably.
Taste Discovery
One of the six key focus areas identified is what
HEINEKEN refers to as Taste Discovery. "It sounds
simple, but taste is one of the biggest opportunities to
get people to drink beer," says Erik.
"Lack of knowledge about the broad range of beers
available means that first time legal-age consumers
often write beer off as being too bitter. Even current
consumers lack the depth of beer knowledge to
encourage them to try new brands and experiment
with other beer types. This lack of knowledge also
makes the picture confusing.
"For wine, this confusion was tackled decades ago,
and now a common language exists through which
wine consumers talk about different types, such as
'robust', 'woody', or 'zesty'. But for beer, the repertoire
to describe taste is limited. You might ask if that's
important? Yes, it is.
While it's true that brands play an important role
in consumer choice, and HEINEKEN is world-class
at building brands, taste is a huge influencer on
consumer choice - and it should be. For example,
research carried out in the Netherlands in 2010
showed that taste was cited by as much as 91% of
people as a motivation for purchase."
Beer Vocabulary
HEINEKEN carried out tastings in three key markets,
involving more than 1,800 consumers, to come up
8 World of HEINEKEN Quarter A 2012
