Did you know brewing beer was actually one of the first applications of biotechnology?
Recently I visited the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam. Essentially a museum to showcase the history of Heineken, its values and its beer. Throughout the tour, I was taken through the history of the company, the brewing process and the journey its had so far.
After seeing a cluster of iPhones taking pictures – I started thinking; what could a beer manufacturer possibly teach tech startups about marketing? I mean Heineken is one of the most recognizable brands out there anyway.
Three Marketing Lessons From Heineken For Technology Startups
1. Quality control
Heineken maintains a high consistency of it beer no matter where its manufactured. Your product is no different. Make sure it works the same everywhere and manufactured with the same high quality standards around the world.
There’s nothing worse than dividing opinion over your product because the quality of your product varies in quality.
2. Branding
Before the green bottle became the legendary symbol of Heineken. The Dutch brewer had many different bottle designs of shapes and sizes. It wasn’t until Alfred “Freddy” Heineken decided to unify all of them into one memorable design that Heineken became a global brand.
Keep your logo and communications consistent, don’t change anything. Changing logos and brand messaging will just confuse people. Instead keep it simple in the beginning when you’re starting out.
Afterwards, when you’re ready to go international, adapt your marketing according to the culture of the country you’re entering.
3. Story telling
Heineken has a story to tell. From the purchase of its first brewery to its transformation into one of the most iconic brands of the 20th century.
Regardless of how young your startup is, you still have a story to tell. For instance you can:
- Talk about how the idea was conceived
- What was the inspiration behind the product
- Your journey as a company so far
- What makes your product special
- Triumphs you’ve had
- What you’re aiming to achieve – your vision
Remember though to keep it positive! And not to over complicate things with your branding. What the Heineken Experience does is take you through the journey Heineken has gone on to reach its position as a leading beer brand. You can do the same with your startup.