Heineken Hoping to Get Asians Drinking Dutch

Brits were unhappy when Dutch brewer Heineken was named the official beer of the London Olympics. After all, the British have got plenty of brewskis that they make within their own borders, and it would have been nice if the cash Heineken made from selling more than 527,000 gallons of beer during the Games had gone to a British company.

However, even that river of beer didn’t help Heineken overcome the falling beer sales of Europe. Its Western Europe beer sales for the first six months of the year declined 2.9 percent. And that’s after the Olympics sponsorship as well as the Champions League, which gathers together the best club soccer teams in Europe to battle it out for bragging rights.

Luckily for Heineken, it had “strong sales in Asia, Africa and the US” in the first six months of the year, according to Marketing Week, and it ended up with its worldwide revenue jumping up 5 percent to €8.8 billion ($11 billion).  

However, the brewer is hoping to get some higher returns in Europe and is now planning to “invest in ‘high-impact’ marketing campaigns for its global brands such as Amstel and Desperados,” Marketing Week reports. Still, no matter how much marketing the brewer does, cash-strapped Europeans are turning their thirsty mouths to cheaper beers so it is important for Heineken to keep growing its brand in other markets. That likely puts more pressure on its attempt to take over majority control of Asia Pacific Breweries, which it currently owns 44.6 percent of, Reuters reports. 

"This is the most rapidly growing area with the strongest demographics and strongest economic growth in Asia and we deem that a strategic interest for us," said Heineken CEO Jean-Francois van Boxmeer Wednesday, Reuters reports.

And, of course, the brewer is hoping to see a boost in sales in November when the next James Bond film, Skyfall, hits screens. The secret agent, known to enjoy his vodka martinis “shaken not stirred,” will likely be seen grabbing a Heiney in the film since the brewer has paid big bucks to have its product placed there. Fans of the books and films have been mostly displeased that 007 will be turning his back on his beloved cocktails, but it appears that the producers of Skyfall are happy to take the bucks however they roll in.