We gathered how much the Heineken marketing agency did during Covid-19.
Heineken has long been striving to establish a socially responsible brand image. With its exemplary creativity, it has developed campaigns to promote its non-alcoholic 0.0 products, such as „Enjoy Heineken Responsibility” and „When you drive never drink.” A „Cheers to All” their short film focused on overcoming gender stereotypes.
Heineken and Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly affected beer production: with the cancellation of festivals and the closure of hospitality venues, demand has dropped sharply. The beer industry undoubtedly relies heavily on social gatherings, events, bars, etc.; the decline in European trade; government restrictions in Mexico and South Africa were among the factors affecting the Dutch brewery's business.
Despite the circumstances, the Heineken brand performed strongly. The high brand value helped Heineken mitigate the losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic, there was a trend of consumers returning to familiar and trusted brands. A According to Kantar's measurements the Heineken brand stands as the world's most trusted international beer brand. The Heineken brand clearly performs better in this category, achieving more than 80% of its stable or growing market share in key markets. Marketing campaigns also played a significant role in this.
#SocialiseResponsible
Heineken launched a global campaign titled #SocialiseResponsible with the help of the Italian Publicis Italia agency, aimed at supporting the reopening of the hospitality industry, HoReCa, while reminding consumers of responsible behavior. Therefore, they introduced the # SocialiseResponsibility hashtag. They aimed to articulate a universal sentiment among millions of consumers and brands that almost anyone could rally behind. Not specifically just for the opening of bars, but for the greatest possible responsibility to keep the pandemic under control while facilitating both businesses and consumers' return to normal life. In addition to promoting responsible drinking, the digital campaign also encouraged online socializing in the safety of homes during the pandemic. Their short films humorously showcase beer-related experiences and life situations that anyone can relate to.
Campaigns the Heineken way
The Connecti-Off was part of Heineken's #SocialiseResponsible campaign. The „Connections” short film was created with Microsoft Teams and Zoom, showcasing the pitfalls of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
A „We will meet again” short film showcases people's creativity and the indestructible desire for fun and nightlife. The short film entertainingly captures the methods we all tried during the lockdown.
1. As part of Heineken's global initiative „2. Back the bars” 3. the online campaign celebrates the reopening while reminding consumers of responsible behavior. In fact, consumers can only help bars stay open in the „new normal" by adhering to safety regulations, thus continuing to enjoy nights out with friends.
4. In the campaign's advertisement, people in bars greeted each other with distant hugs and elbow bumps, conversing from 1.5 meters apart.
5. House parties cannot be excluded from the typical venues for beer consumption either. Heineken also had something to say here about the responsible application of the new normal rules. „6. Home Gatherings” 7. The spot titled is essentially an instructional video on how to avoid accidentally drinking from someone else's beer.
8. Heineken launched „9. its short film ”Finally together" as part of the EURO 2020 campaign, already announced as the main sponsor of the postponed UEFA league.” 10. Responsible consumption and viral factor.
11. The marketing of alcohol consumption embodies an increasing number of thoughts and expectations, featuring emotions such as safety, comfort, trust, responsibility, enjoyment, control, sharing, fear... According to market research data, consumers worldwide primarily drink alcohol for celebration (or for forgetting in Hungary), and only secondarily because they enjoy its taste. It is important that for many, alcohol consumption is a social activity, a shared program with friends. However, this type of alcohol consumption has faced limitations due to the restrictive measures introduced during the coronavirus pandemic.
12. Heineken's short films, on one hand, alleviate people's anxiety about impossible situations, while on the other hand, help articulate the desire for celebration and social togetherness, while drawing attention to a very real problem (maintaining social connections while adhering to protective measures). Therefore, these advertisements are built around this issue, emotionally engaging viewers while promoting responsible consumption. For this reason, they possess a significant "viral factor" and also increase brand loyalty, as consumers feel addressed when they experience that their favorite brand not only understands their situation but also cares for them, while – not least – even makes them laugh. Humor, as we know, is one of the best marketing tools.
13. Judit Hajdu's further articles on the Marketing Secrets blog.
Judit Hajdu's further articles on the Marketing Secrets blog.
