Breweries invest in new experiences of vend

Without leaving aside the use of traditional media as a means of communication with the consumer, the brewery has sought new ways to offer consumer experiences that bring return of brand, image and sales. The strategy includes more actions in points of sale that are not restricted to supermarkets and bars and greater proximity to the consumer, making daily contact almost a constant field research, with quick responses. That's because the way to absorb information and consume has changed and the market is adapting Brewer to these new situations, says Adalberto Viviani, President of Concept, consulting firm specializing in beers.
"If a campaign for TV was playing more effective communication with the consumer, now we must go to the street, where the consumer is. This consumer is seeking new information and consumption situations of relationship with brands. The message from the consumer to the industry is ' you can't catch me more on TV '. Parodying, Milton Nascimento, is the strategy of ' go where the people are, "quips Viviani.
In the segment, brands such as Heineken and Kirin Brazil seek to find their space in the new language of the consumer. Heineken has launched to the market on 16 may the Beer Cellars project in partnership with the am/pm stores of Ipiranga Stations. Are refrigerated Chambers with temperatures around 3° C, where consumers can enter, choose the packs of beer who wish to buy and take the ice cream products. Maurício Giamellaro, Vice President of sales of Heineken Brazil, says the idea was to create a channel that could provide consumer convenience
"We're looking for a way to create a new shopping experience that could be done in a practical way, with easy access. In the beer cellars, the customer is part of our products and part of the portfolio of premium category. Today, we're in 16 Brazilian States. With the initiative and realized a 50% increase in sales at the convenience store channel, "he says, without disclosing figures. Heineken's goal is to be present in 200 convenience stores of am/pm network by the end of this year.
In the first quarter financial results released by Brewer — that does not separate the figures by country, but by region — consolidated revenues increased 7.4%, to € 4.3 billion. The volume of the Heineken brand in the Premium segment grew about 6.2% International. The main markets that contributed to the growth in the quarter were: Viet Nam, Brazil, China, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Canada and the United Kingdom. Net income for the quarter was € 579 million.
Also in search of adaptation, the Kirin, Brazil adopted an institutional placement to be seen as a beverage company and not as a brewery, by means of the signature "live your Thirst", which marks all their presentations in the markets where it operates.
Juliana Nunes, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, sustainability and Compliance, says that since the acquisition by Japanese Kirin, in 2012, the company has been targeting their strategies on diversification of the portfolio, to get closer to other consumers who don't necessarily the Brewers.
"In terms of volume, the company already concentrated 40% of their results in non alcoholic products, against 60% on their beers. A few years ago, this Division was of 20% versus 80%. The results encourage us. We are completing a year of Fibz brand in Brazil, soda with low-calorie and fiber that was already sold in Japan and in Brazil comes with a good answer. In the alcoholic market, we are also stepping up sales of sake Azuma Kirin. Within the strategy of being a beverage company, we want to offer different experiences for every audience, "she says.
Juliana says that the focus is meeting regionally the consumer point of sale, evaluating your preferences. But she points out that the novelty of the group is the creation of a network of exclusive distributors of micro brand.
"It's a pilot project to more distant neighborhoods of big cities and communities across the country. For now, we're testing in Rio and in São Paulo ", he adds. In 2014, the company had net income of r $ 23 million, reversing a loss of r $ 65 million the previous year. The net revenue was r $ 3.9 billion.
To an expert in the sector, Brazil's attempt Kirin follows the line "If nothing worked out I will get an alternative". According to the source, the brand is "downhill in the segment of beers and need to return to shareholders by creating new ways to increase sales with other products and seek distribution strategies that have already demonstrated failure in case of micro network which, he says, has been experienced by other brands, no satisfactory result.
In the case of Heineken, the advantage of having a consolidated brand and actions more effective consumer approach can help you to grow in market share, without however taking the position of Petrópolis Brewery that, according to data from Nielsen April, ranks second in market share, with 13.1 percent, against 67% of AmBev. Heineken has 9.6% and Brazil Kirin, 8.2%.
According to the source, the large ratio of Petrópolis Brewery with the consumer will still happen in the Northeast, where the brand still has enough market to grow. And, in the case of leader AmBev, the investment in premium brands already has given a result in the search for increased profitability. Net revenues in the first quarter of 2015 grew 10.7% compared to the same period in 2014, with $ 6.5 billion.