Abstract
Heineken is the first European Brewer and one of the first brewers in the world. Also, to give a better idea of the situation of the company, let's state some figures. In 2005, net profit was 761 million €, with sales above 10 billion € and a total beer volume of almost 120 million hectoliters. All this represents an annual growth of nearly 20% in net profit, more than 7% in revenue, and more than 5% in sales volume (hectoliters). So, we may wonder where this growth comes from, what is Heineken's strategy to achieve such a growth and sustain it. In their 2005 annual report, they state: “We are committed to growth and have embraced innovation as a key component of our strategy. We work to continually anticipate and meet the changing needs of consumers. Our innovations are in the areas of production, marketing, communication, packaging, and, in particular, draught beer systems, where we are an acknowledged leader.” So, it could seem that there strategy is focused on innovation, but as we will see, not only. Another part of the strategy seems to focus on an active participation to the consolidation in the beer market, so as to be able to grow and strengthen a good position in mature and profitable markets.
