Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
Heineken Is Back, Stronger than Before, with Its New Star Bottle Strongbow is poised for growth among Millennials. in a candid, no-nonsense approach. This marketing brilliance is matched by the clever decision to encourage on-premise licensees to download and/or order merchandising materials from Newcastle's website, yet to be launched. This will better equip licensees in less centralized areas with merchandising support, and in a more timely manner. This summer, Newcastle will be rolling out Newcastle Bombshell—with its other Limited Editions making appearances during their respective seasons. When I Say "Burger," You Say "Amstel Light" The marketing push to make Amstel Light the "Official Beer of the Burger" is in full force for 2013. Fourteen billion burgers are consumed each year in the United States. Yes, really. And according to Matt Kahn, Vice President of Marketing, Portfolio Brands, "Amstel Light is going to own the upscale burger occasion." Boston, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia make up 50 percent of Amstel Light sales. If you're in any of those four areas you can expect a lot of push in May 2013 for National Burger Month. "We're not changing our course; we're sticking with, and accelerating our strategy, said Dolf van den Brink, " President and CEO, HEINEKEN USA. That strategy appears to come in the form of accentuating the Heineken brand, and the Star Bottle is the beacon of that approach. The Star Bottle is taller and slicker, and also exhibits an embossed star design on the glass itself which seems to say "Heineken is back and stronger than before. " "The Heineken Star Bottle defines the brand, while at the same time lends to our portfolio's mission to act more as a family, said Lesya Lysyj, HEINEKEN USA's Chief " Marketing Officer. The new Star Bottle interprets the brand's signature green bottle and creates a modern version of it. It reinforces the upscale status of the brand overall and is consistent with the "thought leader" messaging with which the brand has identified. The company's commitment to heavily invest in marketing confirms its dedication to educating consumers and trade on the new Star Bottle look. "We have a 127-yearold beer in a 0-year-old bottle, said Lysyj. " The Heineken Star Bottle will be conveyed to the consumer through diverse media, of which the next stages of the iconic Heineken Legends campaign will be revealed. These focus mainly on television commercials, POS, on-premise events with prizes, print advertising, social media, P and digital exercises rolling out in 2013, in support of promoting .R. Heineken Star Bottle. Scott Blazek, Senior Vice President, Sales, HEINEKEN USA, made the point: "It now fits better on the shelf, especially beside its sister brands. There's been a shift in consumers. There's a distinct loyalty to repertoire. The Star Bottle is our flagship emblem in developing that growth. —N. S. " Indio's Brave New World of Promotion Tecate Brings Back The Hombre This masculine brand plans to grow in "Tecate Light Years" throughout 2013. Tecate Light will garner focus through high-profiled boxing match sponsorships, and high-impact visibility advertising including billboard, television and print advertising (watch this space). Hispanics will continue to represent the main demographic focus, and some consumer ads will be in English also. 106 / the tasting panel / april 2013 2.2 million cases of Beers of Mexico were sold last year. This year Heineken is aiming to increase that number further by 50,000 cases. Indio is certainly taking its tagline "Do Your Thing" to heart, as it pioneers a new approach to promoting a beer brand. Pop-up restaurants and clubs are the latest thing, and Indio has embraced the pop-up Casa, a space for self-expression through art and music. Doors to the first Casa Indio will be in Los Angeles in May 2013. The brand targets Los Indies (Hispanic Millennials), and intends to create enough buzz surrounding its events that social media will represent its main source of publicity.