Heineken
Context
HEINEKEN is one of the market leaders in beer production. Its recent business strategy has brought out the need to also make HEINEKEN the leader in the definition of beer culture and in professional training in the industry, aimed at industry operators (Ho.Re.Ca) and Modern Trade – fundamental assets for the growth of the segment.
Objectives
Developing beer culture and training that is relevant to the product, to HEINEKEN, means building a real Beer University – a place that is accessible to all company stakeholders, both internal and external, aimed specifically at professional distribution partners.
The University will go beyond just sales in order to make known the history of the drink, different beer styles, and the production process, focusing on service and the managerial competences that are necessary in such a challenging market.
The aim of the HEINEKEN Beer University is to define the company’s capacity to favour learning and communication methods that supply the elements needed to establish what sets a beer apart from a great beer. Product culture, training, and competences for generating business and bringing value to the industry.
Contents
We worked with HEINEKEN to build the mindset that the Beer University teachers must have in order to create a participative mechanism based on listening (not simply relying on the classroom).
In parallel, together we created the premises for people – from the company’s sales force to its distributors, to staff in points of sale – to develop a new mindset in regards to beer consumption. That is – to overcome the logic that differentiates beers just by their colour or place of origin, developing a new language for product proposition and the celebration of its characteristics.
Moreover, we developed instruments that not only allow the teachers to speak about beer culture, but also to intercept and put into play among each other the needs linked to the scenario, the market, and the client.
The training proposed will follow the “Adopt Adapt Ad Hoc”™ methodology, which aims to personalize the learning experience linked to the result in order to create a significant personal touch.
Results
The first readiness phase has been developed. It includes the strategy and vision that underlies the initiative – the principles and guidelines that define it. We have also worked on the preparation of contents following a development path adapted specifically to Trainers.
