FEATURES: Heineken Beat prevails thanks to good grace

<p>A year ago, many multinational advertisers withdrew their marketing </p><p>campaign amid the flurry of anti-Western sentiment after the bombing of </p><p>Belgrade China embassy by Nato. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Dutch beer brewer prepared to rock the China capital in its second </p><p>Heineken Beat open air music festival in May, despite the difficulties </p><p>in hosting the event for the first time last year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Even now, political issues cannot be taken lightly, said Mr Udo </p><p>Hoffmann, vice-general manager of the event creator and organiser, Yiren </p><p>Advertising. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Last year, Heineken Beat had to be cancelled at the last minute </p><p>following the Belgrade bombing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, the concert was successfully staged two months later, allowing </p><p>Yiren to build the good relationships needed for this year's events. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Heineken Beat was a two-day, open-air music and entertainment concert </p><p>that made heads turn as East met West in Ritan Park in eastern </p><p>Beijing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Six bands from China and the West performed in the public park and the </p><p>open air sacrificial altar, while street performers interacted with the </p><p>public during the day. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Bringing together Chinese modern rock, salsa, afro beat, world music and </p><p>Britpop, Heineken Beat was the first open-air concert of its kind in </p><p>Beijing. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It was also unique in that culture has so far remained a part of </p><p>political life and the music industry has been viewed by the authorities </p><p>with apprehension. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The festival was the first of its kind," said Mr Hoffmann. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"But the organisational process was a lot smoother the second time </p><p>around as everyone involved last year agreed that the concert was big </p><p>success and knew they could rely on us to be sensitive to their </p><p>concerns." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Hoffmann, who has organised the Beijing Jazz festival for the last </p><p>eight years and co-created Heineken Beat, recalled: "In the beginning it </p><p>was difficult to convince companies to sponsor music events because of </p><p>high risk both politically and financially. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Heineken has been very pleased with the results of the festival. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Over the last year, Heineken's brand awareness in Beijing increased </p><p>from 60 per cent to 80 per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The event was the talk of the town and extensive TV and radio campaigns </p><p>before and after the festival ensured other parts of the country were </p><p>also included in the marketing strategy." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Heineken Beat Festival has been a revolution as a branding and a </p><p>public awareness exercise for the mainland market and certainly helps </p><p>open the doors for future events, said Mr Hoffmann. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Event sponsorship will become very important," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Because the population in the cities is becoming more sophisticated, </p><p>(it has created) the need for a developed entertainment industry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"People want to distinguish themselves from one another and therefore </p><p>need cultural diversity. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Events provide Chinese consumers with this cultural diversity and this </p><p>can be funded through sponsorship from the corporate side." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>As traditional media options become fully exploited in China, new ways </p><p>of building awareness and placing product need to be found. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"While every brand needs individually created campaigns, all events from </p><p>dance to theatre are areas to be explored in the future," said Mr </p><p>Hoffmann. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Hoffmann, a former teacher, wants to introduce the Chinese audience </p><p>to as many different music genres as possible and remains a firm </p><p>believer that cultural diversity is vital for people to creatively </p><p>interact with their own tradition. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"I want to introduce many genres because people can then choose what </p><p>they like best," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>By working closely with the authorities to ensure no infringements of </p><p>China's laws and regulations, Yiren tends to concentrate on the event </p><p>itself. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Indeed, the biggest headache facing Mr Hoffmann was not political at </p><p>all, but rather, whether the band coming from Cuba would make its flight </p><p>connections in time for this year's event. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Source: CMM Intelligence. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>