Heineken Executive Summary

Consumer tastes for beer vary across the globe in markets that have strong brand preferences and are in diverse stages of development. Heineken must adapt its marketing strategy to meet the diverse array of preferences on a global scale while maintaining brand identity and building brand loyalty. Heineken must maintain a consistent branding strategy with central control from headquarters and build brand equity by utilizing market research to design advertising specific to local markets. Advertising should not be limited to traditional media markets, but should include sponsorship of various public events including sporting events and concerts. Heineken must inspire international confidence while maintaining local appeal. Project Mosa and Project Comet are not inconsistent. Project Mosa indentifies taste, premiumness, tradition, winning spirit, and friendship as the brand’s core brand values. Project Comet confirms that these are values that consumers hold and informs the company of how consumers define these preferences (Ex. 8-10) . Although Heineken has identified different regional conceptions of “friendship expression” and consumers have outlined different definitions for standard and premium beers, consumers agree that beer drinkers can always count on Heineken (Ex. 5,7,9). This favors a marketing strategy revolving around the idea that Heineken can be the perfect premium beer for all occasions. This strategy will be effective because Heineken can develop local advertising molding the Heineken image into the regional image of beer for any given location.
Most surveyed markets agree that packaging is an indication of beer taste (Ex. 6). Heineken should keep packaging and branding consistent while varying advertising. This consistent reminder of the Heineken brand will remind consumers of Heineken’s universal appeal, while acting as the official stamp of a quality beer. Heineken’s research shows that the global beer market is in different stages of