For beer brands, bar owners are as crucial as end consumers. With competition fierce in this segment, Heineken faced the challenge of establishing a closer bond with them.

During a global energy crisis and an economic recession impacting bars, the timing was ideal to address this issue. Recognizing the bars' role in the company's success, Heineken had two objectives with the Beer Power initiative:

01

To strengthen the relationship with this highly strategic stakeholder.

They are crucial to the business and have been facing tough times keeping their establishments running since the pandemic;

02

To establish Beer Power as a clean energy program for bars.

Promote it, generate leads, convert bars into partners, and create positive associations with the brand's sustainable practices.

Heineken found the solution directly from its operations: it is 100% produced with green energy in Brazil, with excess solar energy produced in its breweries.

So, we created Beer Power, a program that donates solar energy to bars, reducing their electricity bills. A sustainable solution with a real impact on their finances.

In order to achieve this, we established a power grid connecting our breweries and bars.

To engage them, we went beyond the traditional approaches of distribution teams. We created an OOH made of solar panels connected to selected bars, giving them a taste of Heineken's energy. Then, we launched a geolocated campaign where the program was already available and directed all leads to our landing page.

A significant brand effort to turn this operation into a credible solution. A minimal effort for bars, after all, they only needed to sign up to join the program at no cost.

In order to be relevant to the bar business, we investigated which problems we could solve for them.

In 2022, a global energy crisis and economic recession caused a significant spike in Brazilian energy bills, posing a direct threat to bars. Keeping their doors open was becoming impossible, and keeping beer cold was getting increasingly expensive.

While this presented a major challenge for bars, it also offered a unique opportunity for Heineken. But, simply offering discounts or financial incentives wasn't enough, a truly effective solution was needed.

The rise in electricity bills was indicative of a larger issue: global warming. Ironically, the sun, which warms the planet and beer, is also a potent source of clean energy.

In other words, the same sun that warms the planet can power bars and chill beers.

However, with only 10% of Brazil's energy matrix being solar, there were prejudices against this energy source.

. Background & Context

Heineken arrived in Brazil in 2010 and faced the challenge of establishing a robust presence in the bar scene, especially with competitors dominating bars for over a century.

In 2022, a global energy crisis and an economic recession caused a significant increase in

energy bills in Brazil, directly threatening the business of bars.

Keeping the doors open was becoming impossible, and keeping beer cold was becoming

increasingly expensive. However, their century-old partners did not intervene to prevent this from happening.

. Creative Challenge

Recognizing the fundamental role of bars in their success, Heineken aimed to strengthen its

relationship with bar owners, showing solidarity and support.

In order to do this, simply offering discounts or financial incentives was not enough. We needed to go beyond beer and address the real problem with an effective solution.

After all, the increase in electricity bills was symptomatic of a larger issue: global warming, which is making the planet hotter every day and less enjoyable every minute.

Behind all this was the sun. The star responsible for heating the planet - and, ironically, beer - is also a powerful source of clean energy.

This means that the same sun that heats the planet can sustain bars while chilling our beers.

. Solution

Heineken found the solution directly from its operations: it is 100% produced with green energy in Brazil, with excess solar energy produced in its breweries.

Thus, we created Beer Power, a program to donate solar energy to bars and reduce electricity bills. A sustainable solution with a real impact on bar finances.

In order to do this, we created a power grid by reaching an agreement with our solar energy

producers and mapped out which areas potential partner bars could receive it. Then, we invited bar owners to join the program at no cost and with no installation required.

. Execution

In order to effectively engage bar owners, we went beyond traditional tactics and distribution team approaches.

First, we staged a "PR Stunt." We gave traditional media a new purpose by creating the Solar Outdoor. An OOH made of solar panels and connected to selected bars, giving them a taste of Heineken's green energy.

Then, we involved them in their work routine through a geolocated campaign in states where Heineken's clean energy was already available.

Finally, all leads were directed to the Beer Power landing page for more information and easy enrollment in Heineken's green energy.

It was a significant effort by the brand to turn this operation into a solution. A minimal effort for bars to join the program, after all, they only needed to sign up. And above all, a significant step towards a more sustainable future driven by beer's best friend: open bars.

More than just a B2B project, Beer Power transformed its sustainability strategy into tangible solutions for bar businesses, creating a new partnership format.

With over 40 million impressions and 1.8 million views, we generated over 14,2 thousand leads in the first two years. With a conversion rate of 25%, Heineken helped catalyze a mindset shift by transforming 3,550 bars into official program partners.

Our power grid channeled over 72 million kWh, saving approximately R$32 million in energy bills, exceeding the target by 41.6%. This led to a reduction of 2,326,000 tons of CO2 emissions, offsetting the equivalent of 10,676 trees. It's no wonder we've taken the lead in Kantar's "Acting responsibly towards the environment and natural resources" attribute.

Yeah, you could say we're making a better world, one bar at a time.