Long live all football fans.
One of the most famous sports sponsorships in the world (Photo: Walla! system, Talia Levin)
I don't know what excited me more about the trip I went on last week.
Was this the best beer experience that the writer, who, among other things, deals professionally with alcohol, could experience?
Was it the unimaginable sensory experience you can only get when watching larger-than-life football matches overseas?
Because she is also a selfish football fan.
Or maybe it was simply a fascinating journalistic task that examines the reasons for the phenomenal successes of super brands and large companies, in an almost impossible era of competition for the hearts of an audience that has seemingly seen everything.
seemingly.
So here's a spoiler for the well-known but not-so-obvious bottom line in the world of sharks: to conquer the top, it always has to be much more than just a gimmick.
And when it's not just a gimmick, and when it also has taste, depth, and good connections, it probably proves itself.
Therefore, if you find yourself in at least one of the sections I mentioned above, and especially if you are a football fan, I would recommend that you fasten your seat belts, lean back and open a bottle of beer (non-alcoholic is also possible, it is just as tasty) when you read the article.
Michael Owen, one of the soccer legends flown to Israel, with two local legends (Photo: Shuka Cohen)
Star Trek
Heineken's connection (this is how it is spelled correctly, contrary to the tendency of many Israelis to write and even pronounce "Heineken") to the Champions League is well-known and well-known, and it is likely that even if you are not one of the soccer fans, you could not miss the advertisements, campaigns and the great excitement that Heineken brings to Israel (The Heineken franchisee in Israel is Tempo Beverages, which imported the beer in the early nineties, and in 2005 began its production here. The company is jointly owned by Heineken Global and Tempo Beer Industries).
The guys from Heineken in Israel have already landed the biggest football stars in Israel as part of their sponsorship in recent years: David Yorke, Ronaldinho, Luis Figo, last year Marco Matracci landed here and of course the legendary Michael Owen - as part of an activity in front of the crowd of fans who got to touch the Zohar up close .
Another unforgettable experience awaits football fans this year as part of Heineken's branding in the land of football fans, ahead of the final rounds of the Champions League games,
A little less than twenty years that Heineken has been sponsoring one of the world's largest football enterprises, when in recent years the Heineken brand expanded its sponsorship and, in addition to the Champions League, deepened its sponsorship of the entire world of football to the three top enterprises: the Conference League, the Europa League and of course, above all, the Champions League, this whose appearance in the group stage became the holy grail of Israeli soccer teams (so far only three of them have been able to fulfill the fantasy, including of course Maccabi Haifa this season).
Not only football is under the auspices of the Dutch-international brand - there is also sponsorship for rugby and the like, but football lovers we are here in Israel, and we will focus on the best game in the world.
In the past year, Heineken's campaign around the world focused on the message "men are inside too" with the understanding that beer is a brand intended for both sexes, as well as football (sponsorship is also given to the women's football enterprises).
And who like me can testify that football and alcohol are no longer gendered areas, not only in the world by the way, but also in Israel.
But you must be asking yourself, if in any case you can't drink alcohol on the fields, why football?
First of all, among the consumption data of the Israeli public, it was found that the beer consumption among football fans is much higher than the beer consumption of the general public.
And although Israel is not a drinker like the Europeans, the consumption of beers here has increased in recent years, with an emphasis on the Corona days.
More in Walla!
How do you turn a plastic package into a flower pot?
In cooperation with the Tamir Recycling Corporation
Putting the brand's logo together with the icons that are so recognizable from TV (Photo: Public Relations)
Fans drink more
In terms of numbers - in Israel it must be said, the Heineken brand holds a market share of over 10% market share.
Certainly respectable in relation to the consumption of the population.
But even before the branding, about 70% of the global consumer audience, of beverages in general, are also beer consumers "under different circumstances".
When you check football fans, the percentage rises to 87%.
Therefore, there is no doubt that this connection between Heineken and the great football enterprise, the Champions League, is natural for both parties.
Heineken says that they have always been a brand of fans, "We have always been passionate about bringing people together to celebrate the things they love" Also, the support for the Champions League takes the company on a journey to become the leading brand in football sponsorships, and the brand adds, in the spirit of political correctness and gender equality: We are committed to ensuring that the sport is a safe and welcoming space for everyone. We want to make football comfortable and safe for all fans and celebrate with these amazing people on and off the field."
In the economic report published on the official website of the global company for 2022, it is stated that the global company Heineken recorded a 30.4% increase in revenues last year, and an operating profit of 4,283 million euros with an optimistic forecast for 2023 for continued growth, and with continued expansion in the field of non-alcoholic beer (0.0 %), which has also been marketed in Israel since 2019, and brings a new audience to the brand.
The 2022 report marked an increase in the trend of beer drinking despite the crisis in Europe, like in the days before the Corona virus.
Heineken sold 6.9% more beer than in 2021, and the rate of consumption of premium beers under the brand increased.
Part of the recovery in the international arena is a result of the removal of the corona restrictions in the Asian market, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc.
The old Heineken brewery in Amsterdam.
turned into a museum and an interactive experience center (photo: Walla! system, Talia Levin)
Amsterdam, Wie Madame
But data is separate and experiences are separate, because with all due respect to good Excells, the excitement can only be felt through the legs or in this case the sky.
Therefore, last week I boarded a flight to the place where it all began, for the purpose of illustrating the new Heinken experience that will be released to the Israeli audience as part of the Champions League campaign that will begin in April, a campaign whose details are still confidential, except for this little teaser.
I'm just saying that the Heineken operation in Israel intends to pamper our fans no less than they pampered me.
The visitor center of the Heineken factory in Amsterdam was the starting point for our journey - a visit also known as the Heineken Experience in the VIP version, which by the way is not only reserved for the economy and alcohol reporters but is also intended for the general public.
The visitor center was closed for a period of time for renovations and innovations that brought with them, in the spirit of innovation, digitization and attractions that were not there the last time I visited the place more than 15 years ago.
On the tip of the fork or on the foam of the beer: the one who started the rather romantic story of Heineken, is the 23-year-old Gerard Adrian Heineken who was looking for a clean lager beer and couldn't find one.
In 1867 he just took action and started brewing beer on his own in an old brewery on the outskirts of Amsterdam, yes - exactly where the visitor center is today.
The original formula for the production of Heineken has not been changed since the early days of the brewery (almost 157 years), and is based, among other things, on yeast developed by one of Louis Pasteur's students.
After his death, Adrian's son - Dr. Pierre Henry Heineken took his place and headed the company until 1940. Heineken has dozens of beers with different flavors and alcohol concentrations, including the 0.0% beer without alcohol, it also has subsidiaries, with brands Additional beer, such as the Dutch Amstel beer as well as Sol, Edelweiss and more, and it is distributed in 192 countries.
Last November, the center reopened to the general public, who are invited to learn about the history of the second largest beer brand in the world in terms of sales volume.
So what is the difference between the normal route that the tourists who purchase a ticket go through and the VIP route of the Heineken experience that I went through, you ask?
In addition to the guided route that passes between the floors, the ancient production lines, learning about the beer-making process and the experiential space where you can of course taste and drink the brand's beers, Segula individuals experience a special entrance to drinking spaces, speaks-easy-style bars that were used by the generation of founders and employees of the place in the past.
And of course another beer tasting (in addition to the Heineken beer glasses), which includes a guided tasting in a small bar once used by Henry Heineken himself, just like a wine tasting, of the subsidiary brands, some of which are craft beer brands from different countries around the world (an experience for those who love alcohol in general and beer in particular )- IPA, ale, blonde and more.
While experiential learning of sensations in the palate alongside taste-provoking foods adapted to beers.
They advocate surprises, one of which is also reserved for the Israeli audience (photo: Walla! system, Talia Levin)
Surprise of the season
Anyone for whom the Champions League flutters in one of the chambers of his heart (the writer of these lines has experienced the entire spectrum of the most extreme emotions during games in front of the television more than once, and more than twice), will surely want to go on a journey with the official sponsor.
When I packed my suitcase I didn't really know what awaited me, because the guys at Heineken advocate the motto that "surprises are the name of the game".
In the end, it's not just beer and not just football, but a connection to similar values and like everything else in life, the journey, the journey and the added value are much more important than the result.
Another goal, less goal.
Ok it actually depends if your team is not playing.
So I put the nagging thoughts aside, Mbappe's injury and Neymar's scandals and went on a journey.
After the 3-hour visit to Heineken with a close tour by the wonderful Greek Maria who entertained us to the brim with tastings of a variety of beers (and then - with two more glasses of Heineken in hand), which led us to another half hour of recreation in the digital complex of the visitor center designed in the style of the "Squid Games" (I jumped like a bar mitzvah boy from attraction to attraction).
The digital space connected the beer experience with the Champions League, allowed me to take a selfie with Messi and Mbappe and take photos for souvenirs that were scanned straight to my cell phone.
Then we set out to tear up Amsterdam in anticipation of the next stage.
In our case, the destination was known - Paris.
The day after the visit, the round of 16 match between PSG and Bayern Munich took place in Paris, and as part of the Heineken experience expected for the fans in the later and more exciting stages of the tournament, they chose to fly us on a private plane to Paris, equipped with merchandise from the Champions League and the sponsor.
An hour's flight, a bit like an air taxi - and hey, here we are straight at Parc de France, in the best places in a game that, for me, could have ended better without Mbappe's disqualification, but as mentioned - the way is important and not the result.
We mentioned the secret of the success of my brands in a sea of plenty and in front of a demanding audience with a very high excitement threshold that demands from the brands that it needs a return for loyalty.
So the bottom line, which is true for both Heineken and other successful brands in various fields - you can clearly see how innovation is the name of the game here.
The attempt to bring consumers to new markets, in new ways and above all those that consider the consumer's user experience first.
Of money
Tags
Heineken
Champions League
Champions League