The trial-to-purchase
rate is more than 50%,
which is above the
global average
ii
GLOBAL BRAND
Trial, Trial and Trial Again
Claiming a Growing Category
HEINEKEN has had a footprint in
Vietnam for more than 20 years and
Minh City. Vietnam's commercial capital
and the country's biggest urban centre,
it's always the first place to embrace
new products or trends."
Similar, smaller scale activations are
planned in other cities across the regions
for the coming months. "We will focus our
efforts on generating trial, an approach
that has worked well in previous
Desperados launch markets. Our trial-to-
purchase rate is currently more than 50%.
That's above the global average, which
gives a good indication of the success
of the product and the willingness of
consumers to try new things."
The brand works best in places where
there is a party, says Ward, but adds,
"We've broadened that concept a little
by saying: if there isn't a party yet,
Desperados will bring it. We mainly
target bars and nightclubs, but are also
tapping into beer clubs, a booming trend
in Vietnam." Arguably offering the best
of both worlds, beer clubs combine the
atmosphere of a high-end bar and the
features of a club. They appeal to mixed
groups who drop by for a couple of
drinks after work or stay late for dancing
with friends.
identified a demand that was not
being met. "We conducted extensive
research into which brands from
the broader HEINEKEN portfolio
could work here. More than half of
the population is under 30, GDP
is growing and people have more
disposable income. Desperados
is positioned as a super-premium
brand, a category that is still in its
infancy. We saw an opportunity to
claim and build that category and
Desperados is the ideal brand with
which to do it."
Desperados is currently available in
the on-trade in a 330ml bottle. "It's
an iconic bottle with very different
shading from any other beer in the
market. For now we are concentrating
on building brand awareness through
the bottle."
Plans are also underway to enter the
off-trade next year. "The majority of
beer is sold through the on-trade in
Vietnam, but we are seeing more and
more volume shifts to the off-trade. We
want to be ready to take advantage of
that with Desperados."
Edition 2 201U World of HEINEKEN I 35
