u
The acceleration of Heineken® brand
volume under the APB umbrella has
been breathtaking
W
WINNING PORTFOLIOS
offering local consumers an alternative
credible choice, supported by innovative
marketing, we have gained nearly 15%
market share."
Asia's Men of the World
"As elsewhere, Heineken®'s target
consumer in Asia wants to be a 'Man
of the World'", explains Laurent. "Our
consumers are affluent consumers living
in Asia's mega cities - Shanghai, Ho Chi
Minh, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur
- they are connected to the world, and
they want to get on in life."
In order to connect with its target
consumer and become an iconic brand,
Heineken® has to have a strong, high-
profile presence in the high-end on-trade
venues of Asia's key cities. "Trendsetters
are our brand ambassadors," he says.
"This means we have to be available
and inspiring in the iconic places they
visit. One way we are doing this is via our
'Design for the Night' programme: we
identify these key outlets and make sure
that Heineken® is the brand available." A
recent example is the implementation of
Heineken® in the highest rooftop bar in
the world: on the 65th floor of a high-rise,
overlooking the vibrant city of Singapore.
and social media. As Laurent explains:
"Asian consumers are increasingly using
global social media. Heineken® needs to
be part of their conversation. This is also
true in China where we focus on the local
social media landscape."
With a significant budget across Asia
Pacfic, our through-the-line activation of
the latest Bond movie Skyfall has been
leveraged in all APB's markets. "We use a
variety of touchpoints: media, packaging,
PR and digital. In addition, we've added
local topspin in Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh
and Bangkok through Heineken®'s 'Crack
the Case' activation."
up to New Year's Eve 2012. "The theme
of the event was 'celebrate Heineken®'s
140th anniversary'. More than one million
consumers attended and the event was
also broadcast nationwide, making it the
biggest music event ever organised in
Asia."
On the agenda for 2013 is the introduction
of the iconic K2 bottle across all of APB's
markets to ensure one unified look and
feel of the brand in the region. Moreover,
there are plans to transform a 65-storey
building into an animated K2 bottle in Ho
Chi Minh, which will drive national - and
international - media coverage.
Laurent says that a key challenge now
for the brand is to regain momentum in
markets such as Vietnam and Taiwan
following a challenging 2012, and to
sustain the growth volume and equity in
China where the brand is booming.
In his view, the recent acquisition of APB
will certainly offer additional potential
for the brand: "Going forward, we will
experience a mind-set shift at APB, as
the 'brand owner' and 'shareholder'
relationships will be replaced by a
common feeling of ownership and
responsibility. We will now be talking
about 'our portfolio', 'our brand' and 'us',
and there will be greater opportunities for
the entire new portfolio to extend
its footprint."
Making Connections
The brand is also connecting with
its consumers via global advertising
campaigns, sponsored events, and digital
In Vietnam, a huge three-day music
event, called The Heineken® Countdown
Party, was organised on the main streets
of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in the lead-
Heineken® has a
high-profile presence
in high-end, on-trade
venues in Asia's key
cities
10 World of HEINEKEN Edition 1 2013
