Friday, May 27, 2011

Heineken Quenches Thirst for New Media

The Dutch brewing company Heineken's new advertising campaign has embraced the newer, nontraditional methods of reaching younger audiences through digital and social media. The campaign, "Open your world," initially began running on Web sites in December, before ever hitting the television waves three months later.

In an article from the New York Times, reporter Stuart Elliot claims that as of Wednesday, the ad, called "The Entrance," had over 3.6 million views on the Heineken channel on YouTube while also available for viewing on the Heineken Facebook page. There are an additional 11 video clips that are run online only which have received an additional million plus views. A new commercial for the "Open your world" campaign was released on Thursday via Facebook and YouTube and is not set to hit television screens until September, making an online presence first.

The idea is “to think digital at the inception, not as an afterthought,” said Alexis Nasard, chief commercial officer at Heineken International in Amsterdam, who spoke during a recent interview at the Heineken USA office in Midtown Manhattan.

With the overwhelming increase of consumers substituting or replacing traditional media with digital and social media, advertisers are more drawn to the concept of online advertisement campaigns that will attract a more diverse audience. Online advertising has become a more cost effective means of establishing a brand identity while engaging with the publics, an element that traditional television advertisement is missing. Through online campaigns, companies can track and respond to comments, gauging the public's opinion on the commercials before they hit television, modifying the content as needed.

As we move further into the digital age, I believe we will begin to see more companies following in Heineken's advertising footsteps.

Do you think this method of advertising is more effective than traditional methods? Let us know!

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