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Even in the midst of a challenging period for both Heineken USA and the industry at large, company brass seemed determined to sidestep the dour at their upbeat East Region Distributor Meeting yesterday in New York City, maintaining a dogged optimism that the tides will turn. That's backed by a host of new brand plans, including new campaigns on brand Heineken and Dos Equis that co believes can live on for years to come, plus first-ever flavor innovations on Heineken 0.0 and expansion of 0.0 Ultimate. "We all know how bad it is out there. We don't need to belabor the point," said ceo Maggie Timoney to kick off the meeting. Beer and total alc bevs are "under pressure," and much of that is due to "big headwinds" beyond our control, she contended, with roughly 2/3 of recent losses driven by drops in consumer confidence and immigration policy. Yet HUSA also attributes 21% to price increases. "We all have to look in the mirror on this." Beer "used to be accessible from a price perspective," but "it's too expensive. We have an affordability issue." That said, beer "will come back&hellip;. My message today is belief in beer" and "belief in our brands," added Maggie. She promised clarity and consistency in HUSA's comms and asks of distribs, including "laser focus on the core.""Prime Position" to Capitalize When Industry Health Improves The beer industry is at "a major inflection point," added new chief sales officer Bill Renspie, the former Constellation exec speaking at his first distrib meetings since joining HUSA just a few wks back. But Bill believes this will be "the turning point" not just for HUSA but for "the industry as a whole." There is a "a green wave of growth on the horizon," he declared. This is a "true crucible moment," and cos must adapt and change to emerge stronger than before. Yet HUSA's portfolio is poised to be in "prime position" to capitalize when things get better. "And they are gonna get better." HUSA can be "the leader of growth," he believes, backed by "amazing investment" and "best-in-class marketing.""Bring Back the Magic" to Core Brands; New Heineken and Dos Campaigns The brewer will launch new campaigns to "bring back the magic" to its core brands and "do our bit" in turning around the category, said cmo Ali Payne, who returned from Global in a newly minted position in Jan. The core insight of brand Heineken's new marketing platform? Fandom is the quickest way to spark connection between strangers. So new campaign is dubbed "fans have more friends" and will run thruout the yr, with flexibility to stretch across any number of sports as well as music and cultural moments. Creative was well received by distribs as industry messaging coalesces around importance of socialization and beer's central role. Co aims to bring "pure joy and entertainment back for the love of beer," as Ali put it. Meanwhile, Dos Equis will introduce a new Stay Thirsty campaign and marketing platform with a vision to be the "most interesting beer brand in the world." The brand is also reupping its Go for Dos college football platform, music partnership with Fuerza Regida and introducing new Chelada Peach Picante flavor.Regional Rollouts for Pair of New 0.0 Flavor Innovations and Heineken 0.0 Ultimate Then too, Heineken 0.0 seeks to become the undisputed leader in non-alc beer by expanding its portfolio with a pair of new flavored innovations: Cold Pressed Lime and Nectarine Juniper. Those will rollout regionally in 6pks across 14 states, and while not jumping straight into a national proposition, co believes flavor is the next major growth wave in NA beer. It's been working on these for 3 yrs and claims this is the first time anywhere in the globe that a brewer is moving into flavored NA beer. Plus, after piloting Heineken 0.0 Ultimate (0 alcohol, 0 calories, 0 sugar) in NJ and MA with "some incredible results" this year, co will expand that proposition to 12 states come 2026, launching in 12pk cans and 6pk bottles.

Headwinds be Damned, HUSA Sees "Green Wave of Growth" on the Horizon

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