Beer Brand Marketing Strategies: Heineken & Moritz Communications

Heineken and Moritz: Communication Mix

This section details the diverse communication strategies employed by Moritz and Heineken to engage their audiences.

Moritz's Communication Strategy

• Sports Events Sponsorship: Active participation in sports events in Barcelona (football, athletics, cycling) through sponsorship.
• Cultural Platforms & Fairs: Links with cultural platforms and musical events, including sponsored public relations actions at trade fairs.
• Trade Fair Assistance: Providing assistance at trade fairs, such as food tasting events in Barcelona, serving as a public relations tool.
• Website: Utilized as a non-conventional, below-the-line advertising tool.
• Street & Car Animation: Unconventional, below-the-line advertising through street or car animations.
• In-Bar Merchandising: Use of branded boards in bars as a merchandising tool.
• Branded Bags: Distribution of Moritz-designed bags as a form of unconventional advertising.

Heineken's Communication Strategy

• National Music Events: Sponsorship and public relations at national music events (e.g., FIB).
• Website: Employed as a non-conventional, below-the-line advertising tool.
• Print Advertising: Conventional, above-the-line advertising through ads in newspapers and magazines.
• Out-of-Home Advertising: Special formats like posters, billboards, and bus shelters for exterior advertising.
• Television Advertising: Highly creative TV advertisements, representing conventional, above-the-line communication.

Target Audience and Brand Positioning

Both Heineken and Moritz strategically position themselves within the premium beer segment, albeit with distinct nuances in their target audience and brand values.

Heineken's Market Positioning

Heineken aims for a market positioning as a premium luxury beer. Its brand messaging, from subtle cues to bottle design, consistently reinforces this. The brand's website, functioning as a music portal, highlights the types of events it sponsors, further aligning its image. This communication is strongly associated with a young, modern, and 'green' culture, which are core values Heineken seeks to convey, alongside its internationalism.

• Demographic Segmentation: Primarily targets adults of a middle-class socioeconomic level.
• Psychographic Segmentation: Alternatively, focuses on spirited, dynamic young individuals.

Moritz's Market Positioning

Moritz is also positioned within the premium beer segment, exemplified by its sponsorship of events like Modafad. It strives to convey international prestige as a differential value, while simultaneously embracing its identity as a popular, local Barcelona beer. The importance of its roots in the city is a key element appearing in several creative campaigns. The brand communicates values such as modemity without sacrificing tradition, quality, and a local beer identity without complexes. The psychographic target audience for Moritz revolves around these specific values.

Communication Channels Utilized

Both brands employ a mix of communication channels, primarily focusing on impersonal methods, with varying degrees of interactivity.

• Advertising & Sponsorship: Both brands engage in advertising (posters, ads) and sponsorship, which are inherently impersonal channels.
• Control & Association: However, the issuer's control is not exclusive, as the brand's image becomes associated with the sponsored object or element.
• Public Relations: Public relations efforts are also conducted by both brands through impersonal channels, aiming to reach a broad audience via various media outlets.
• Websites: Ultimately, their websites serve as central communication hubs.
• Moritz's Pub as a Channel: In Moritz's case, its pub (e.g., Velodrome Muntaner) could be equated to an impersonal channel, given its predominantly one-way communication flow.
• Heineken's Interactive Channel: In contrast, Heineken's news site features a comment section, making it an extensive interactive channel that fosters two-way communication.

Heineken's "People Opina" Campaign

Heineken's "People Opina" (People's Opinion) campaign exemplifies its innovative approach to consumer engagement, though not without inherent risks.

By uploading its advertisements online, Heineken aims to engage people through both the digital network and word-of-mouth buzz marketing. This strategy is a form of buzz marketing or guerrilla communication, designed to build and leverage communication flows between individuals. The campaign specifically utilizes internet forums and social networks, thereby employing extensive interactive channels within a computer-assisted hypermedia environment.

The main risk associated with this approach is the potential loss of control over the communication channel. This could lead to an unfavorable campaign if users begin to post negative comments or opinions about the brand, impacting its public perception.

Brand Campaigns and Strategic Outcomes

Both Heineken and Moritz have executed distinct campaigns to achieve specific strategic outcomes, ranging from promoting responsible consumption to increasing brand notoriety.

Heineken's Campaigns

• Responsible Consumption Campaign: Heineken conducted an international campaign promoting responsible alcohol consumption. The primary goal was for customers to enjoy the brand while associating it with responsible behavior through a series of highly social actions.
• Outcome: Fostering a customer's association with brand responsibility provides greater brand stability and contributes to increased sales benefits.

Moritz's Campaigns

• Velodrome Muntaner Bar Opening: The opening of the Velodrome Muntaner bar by Moritz generated significant newspaper headlines, recognized as relevant news and of interest to the majority of Catalan newspapers.
• Outcome: These actions were specifically aimed at increasing brand notoriety by gaining valuable, free media space in various local outlets.