Heineken

    

  Although I've never seen the point in drinking 0% beer, because it's a beverage that tastes like beer and doesn't get you drunk. Little did I know are people like recovering alcoholics, or people who just drink non-alcoholic beer for pleasure. Heineken saw this as a marketing opportunity. They became the number 1 selling non-alcoholic beer. This shows that Heineken has an intellectual CEO that takes advantage of opportunities. However, the marketing team might need some work.     

    Heineken was founded in the year 1864 by Gerald Adriaan Heineken. Gerald was born in Amsterdam in 1841 and it wasn't long after his 23rd birthday that he founded Heineken. At this time Amsterdam was growing rapidly so Gerald got in at the perfect time. Heineken started out small like all new companies, but started gaining popularity when they were allowed to sell their beer at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower. France in the 1900s was the place to be so it wasn't hard to get the brand of Heineken out there. Heineken is a traditional brand of beer because they have been consistent with their ingredients for 150 years. Gerald passed the company on to his son Henry Pierre Heineken, and he kept the success coming. Henry took Heineken through the great depression. Henry once said, "Had I not been a beer brewer I would have become an ad man." This is a big reason why Heineken is known worldwide. Now Heineken is one of the biggest beers in the soccer community. Enough of the boring history of Heineken.  

    Heineken's value proposition comes down to offering a good beer that tastes great and feels satisfying. They've been perfecting their brews for years, so they've got the whole beer-making thing down to a science. When you crack open a Heineken, you know you're in for a treat. It's the kind of beer that hits the spot whether you're hanging out with friends at a party, enjoying a meal at your favorite restaurant, or just relaxing after a long day. Plus, there's something about that iconic Heineken label that just shows quality and reliability. When you choose a Heineken, you're not just grabbing any beer, you're choosing a trusted brand that consistently delivers on its promise of great taste and good times, no matter where you are.

    Recently Heineken hasn't gotten the best rap. Skeptics have long questioned the green glass of the bottle that they put Heineken. This is true, since Heineken bottles their beer in the green glass is somewhat oxidizes the beer after a while. This can cause a funky smell and even a different taste that some people don't like. Obviously, a lot of people like this unique flavor in Heineken because it is an award-winning beer. Another reason why Heineken is getting backlash is because of a racist advertisement they put out in 2018. Here is the video link: Heineken's 'Sometimes, Lighter Is Better' ad called racist | Metro.co.uk (youtube.com). In the advertisement, it says Sometimes, Lighter Is Better which obviously has some racist intentions. Chance the Rapper tweeted that he thinks companies purposely make slightly racist ads, so they get earned media without getting canceled. It worked out perfectly for them because there's not much commotion about this ad anymore and Heineken is doing just fine. Many people in the States don't like Heineken but based on many comments I've seen it's a lot better in Europe. This is the case with many beers that come from Europe.

    Heineken sells a couple different beers. First is the normal Heineken, and then they have the Heineken light. The last one they made is the Heineken 0.0 which has 0% alcohol. The reason they wanted to brew 0% alcohol is because they wanted to promote living a healthier life. It was an interesting strategy for a beer company, but it worked out because their non-alcoholic drink is the number one drank 0% beer. Heineken wants everyone to know that when they buy Heineken, they are guaranteed a consistent quality beer. They are big on spreading the message of drinking responsibility. In one advertisement their slogan was dance more drink slow.

 Heineken promotes their beer very well besides the racist ad they put out in 2018. Starting in a thriving city to going worldwide is evidence of great marketing. They started with TV advertisements and got bigger and bigger to the point where James Bond was sipping out a green bottle in the movies. Heineken uses many effective marketing strategies. They became one of the primary beers of the soccer community and this was because they used athlete sponsorship. When you turn the TV to watch soccer there's a good chance, you'll see a soccer player getting interviewed and on the table in front of them is sitting a green bottle of Heineken. The Heineken ads you see now are all people watching soccer drinking Heineken and having a good time. The challenge they had to deal with was the backlash from the racist ad they put up. They probably had to fire the marketing team and hire a whole new team. 

    Their response to all the backlash from the racist ad they televised was to pull the ad. They said the ad fell short of their intentions and even though the ad was pulled it's still on YouTube. They brushed past this challenge without going to extreme measures. If I were the manager I would've had meetings and discussions about racism to educate my employees which could've prevented this issue. After they faced this challenge, they have put out very good ads that reach mostly everyone. Since Heineken is one of the most valuable beer companies out right now, I would market that as well because before this I didn't know they were that popular. Also, since the beer is already so popular with people who watch soccer, I would try to market to other sports like football.

    I learned many marketing ways from researching Heineken. I learned that being consistent is a big component of having loyal customers. I learned a lot about the history of Heineken and that they are the second most valuable beer company in the world. Another marketing strategy I learned from Heineken is that purposely advertising to a specific sport allows for a big population to buy and talk about your product.