Heineken (HEIA) dbAccess Global Consumer Conference 2024 summary

Strategic achievements and priorities

• EverGreen strategy established in 2020, focusing on growth, digitization, and productivity, providing stability through turbulent years.

• Premium brands, especially Heineken, drove significant volume growth, with Heineken brand up nearly one third in absolute volume since 2019.

• Digitization efforts resulted in nearly €12 billion in B2B digital revenue, with ongoing investments in both front and back office digital transformation.

• Achieved €2.5 billion in cumulative productivity savings by end of 2023, surpassing initial targets and embedding a culture of ongoing cost discipline.

• Committed to at least €400 million in annual productivity savings going forward.

Market and category outlook

• Global beer category remains healthy, with strong growth in emerging markets like Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and India.

• Developed markets show mixed trends: Europe is stable or gaining share, while the US faces ongoing challenges.

• Premiumization and brand focus are key, with global and local power brands receiving increased investment.

Reinvestment and innovation

• Significant step-up in marketing spend, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of revenue, especially for global brands.

• Digital investments target fragmented trade and back office harmonization, aiming for €15 billion in digital revenue and improved data/process integration.

• Sustainability investments ramping up, focusing on decarbonizing a large, energy-intensive brewery footprint over the next several years.