HEINEKEN, the international premium beer brand, is taking on a new corporate identity and aims to boost its presence in the Philippines, which the Dutch brewer considers one of its major growth drivers in the region.
At the helm of the corporate refresh is Michael Vainio, the country manager. He will oversee the beer brand’s expansion through Heineken Philippines, Inc.
In a statement on Tuesday, Heineken Philippines said Mr. Vainio has years of experience with CPG (consumer packaged goods) categories under his belt.
Before joining the local company, he served for 12 years at Kimberly-Clark as general manager for Singapore and the Philippines. He was head of customer development before joining Heineken Philippines.
Heineken entered the Philippine market in 2016 through AB Heineken Philippines, a 50-50 joint venture partnership between Heineken and Filipino-owned diversified beverage company Asia Brewery, Inc.
Now under a “reformed partnership structure,” Heineken Philippines has put up its own sales and marketing office based in Manila. Asia Brewery is still the local manufacturing partner and distributor of the international brand’s premium beer products in the Philippines.
Heineken describes itself as “one of the most iconic beer brands in the world for over 150 years.”
“It’s known for its green bottle and red star, and its unforgettable rich and crisp flavors with subtle fruity notes: the perfect medley of 100% pure natural ingredients of barley, hops and water — together with its own special A-Yeast that gives each brew the characteristic balanced taste.”
Heineken considers Southeast Asia as a top region in beer consumption. It cited a report by Marketresearch.com that the Philippines’ beer market was at $2 billion in 2015, with a growth of about 6.38% from 2015 to 2019.
It said the lockdowns during the pandemic badly hit industries across the board but with the easing of restrictions and reopening of businesses, the country’s beer market is predicted to hit $3.41 billion in retail prices or a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% per annum from 2020 to 2025.