The music sessions, featuring artists new to Singapore, are open only to members who sign up on the Heineken Green Room website.
Historically, each event has drawn between 500 to 800 partygoers, said Phil Carroll, regional business director for BatesAsia Singapore, who declined to reveal member numbers so far this year. Print ads were used previously, but now digital, including electronic direct mailers, aim to push consumers to the Green Room website.
The aim of the Heineken Green Room is to reach 18- to 40-year-old opinion leaders to expose the brand to a wider audience. The idea was conceived in 2000 by BatesAsia Singapore. “The aim was to increase positive peer-to-peer advocacy of the brand via its association with music, beyond the usual sponsorship of events,” said Carroll.
However, the latest campaign takes a different tack: “We are not interested in drawing new people in anymore. We want to focus on connecting with current members,” explained Carroll.
The site (heinekenmusic. com.sg) is being revamped and will relaunch by the end of this month.
The Green Room programme has generated sufficient success for it to be replicated in two other markets — Ireland and New Zealand — according to Desmond Tan, Heineken Singapore’s marketing manager.
Traditionally, Heineken has built a strong association with music on a local level. Other than the Green Room Sessions, it has also sponsored World of Music, Art and Drama (Womad) and the Mosaic Festival in Singapore.
Asia Pacific Breweries is a joint-venture between Fraser & Neave and Heineken, and has five different beers in its portfolio. Accordingly, Heineken has endeavoured to create a distinct positioning from its peer brands. In Singapore, APB’s most powerful beer brand is Tiger Beer, which is reportedly working on refining its positioning.
