Heineken & Sponsoring

Today we are going to further into the Heineken strategy, the introduction was made, now we are going to go through the serious things!

Let’s come back, in the previous article on the brand, I told you that Heineken used

"sponsoring, presence we the social media, launch of innovative advertising campaigns, use of the top of the edge marketing techniques: marketing street, increased reality, challenge …"

In this article, we are going to be interested in the sponsoring of sport events.

Indeed, although more and more of beer brands sponsor football teams and that Guinness sponsors the Rugby Championship of England; Heineken remains the only beer brand able to sponsor world-known sports events. And the brand owes it to nobody. Indeed, it built its success by associating its image to men and sport. You are going to say " Cliché! " Maybe! But the brand communicates in a more than smart way because it adds fun and makes laugh everybody (men and women). And we are not going to fool ourselves, it is completely and definitely its target.

When we talk about men's sport, the first ones who come in our minds are rugby and football: WON !

Heineken sponsors the European Rugby Cup (also called Cup Heineken or H Cup), which is the most famous European competition between clubs. The best rugby teams of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, Italy and of the Wales participates. And the club which wins is crowned Eurepan Champion… And believe me, it is NOT nothing on the Rugby planet!

As I said before, the competition name is usually H-Cup everywhere in Europe, except in France… Why? Because of the rules on the sponsoring of sport events by the alcohol manufacturers further to the Evin law from 1991.

For the football, Heineken could not do better, it sponsors THE EVENT : the Champion's UEFA League considered as being the most prestigious competitions of football (where we can find the world best teams as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern of Munich, etc.).

And if you did not know, a small reminder just for you and which will remain for me one of the best marketing operations never realized (10 million informed people by press from the following morning, and relieved on the Web, this figure has just skyrocketed).

Do not miss it! : the fake concert organized by Heineken in October, 2009 one evening of Real Madrid - AC Milan in an Italian opera (ground of football, and for some of the male chauvinism?!?)

With these 2 events, Heineken already touches the largest number because it is the 2 most popular sports in Europe but also 2 competitions watched worldwide. But the brand does not stop there, it strengthens its premium image by joining sports reserved mostly for the elite: sail, golf, and tennis.

To the program of this year 2014, Heineken thus sponsors:

• The Heineken Open of Auckland (New Zealand) from January 6^th to January 11th with David Ferrer in guest star (world N°3 in the ATP),
• The 34th St Maarten Heineken Regatta from March 6^th to March 9th,
• And certainly the World Golf Championship in Vietnam (2011-2013) which is not announced yet.