E-Malt.com News article: India: Heineken eyes 5 per cent market share of the premium mild beer market

Heineken, a globally renowned beer brand, ever since its India launch September last year, has been pursuing aggressive marketing activation campaigns to replicate its global success there, Pitch On Net reported on June, 25.

The Dutch- born beer, positioned as a super-premium lager beer was brought to India by United Breweries, owner of the popular Kingfisher brand of beer. Brewed and bottled in India, this premium beer is looking to cement its position among the high-end, sophisticated beer lovers by differentiating itself on account of its taste and quality. According to the brand, there is not much competition in the space they operate in India, but the business is coming in from other imported and foreign brands and from consumers who wish to upgrade to premium beer.

Across the world, Heineken connects with consumers through marketing activation campaigns based on its global sport, music, and film platforms. According to Samar Singh Sheikhawat, Senior Vice President (Marketing), United Breweries, the same global marketing properties are being applied in India with specific Indianised content and relevance.

The aggressive marketing initiatives pursued by Heineken, and for that matter several other beer brands gives a sense of the underlying growth potential in the Indian beer industry. According to a report titled ‘Indian Alcoholic Beverages Market Outlook to 2015’ by AM Mindpower Solutions, a market research company, beer is the third largest market and the second fastest growing market in the Indian alcoholic beverages industry, next only to wine.

According to Sheikhawat, among the different regions that Heineken has a presence in, Delhi and Calcutta are its best markets. He attributes this performance to the right consumer profile in Delhi and Calcutta’s openness towards new beer brands.

The brand also benefits from the large distribution network of United Breweries and plans to focus on the top 10-12 markets in India at present. It is eyeing a market share of 5 per cent of the premium mild beer market in India.


27 June, 2012