A long-term global commitment to responsible alcohol consumption
ENJOY Responsibly Day, September 15th, is our way of shining a spotlight on all the great work that is happening day-in day-out across the world on this important subject. Across our businesses we bring this topic to life through meaningful partnerships with NGO’s, government agencies and local communities; through our brand campaigns and innovations; and through industry collaboration and associations.
The aim of this global Enjoy Responsibly Day is to raise awareness within our business about the impact of alcohol abuse and to work together to make moderation the social norm. Our 85.000 HEINEKEN employees globally are encouraged to take part in a diverse range of locally relevant activities on Enjoy Responsibly Day.
HEINEKEN South Africa's flagship brand, Heineken®, has recently launched its responsible consumption campaign in a drive to make moderate consumption of alcohol more aspirational.
‘Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’ is geared to galvanising consumers towards responsible behaviour change when it comes to drinking and driving. At least 20 percent of Heineken®’s 2017 annual media budget spend is allocated to the campaign which is rolling out across multiple traditional and non-traditional platforms including television, print and digital.
Its various elements include a forceful ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ message and the current TV commercial featuring road safety pioneer and F1® legend, Sir Jackie Stewart leaves consumers with no doubt on this score.
Ruud van den Eijnden, HEINEKEN MD, says, “It reinforces our corporate view that when you’re behind the wheel, abstinence is the only option.”
He emphasises that the ‘Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’ campaign is not just a onceoff but the pilot of a long-term commitment, “The campaigns are designed to address a new and innovative take on our responsible consumption platform and will be expanded through digital activations, PR initiatives and activations.
“HEINEKEN, the world's most international brewer, has a long history of encouraging responsible consumption, and HEINEKEN South Africa is no different in its approach. We take this role very seriously as we understand alcohol abuse is a complex societal issue. There is unfortunately no one-size-fits-all solution or approach. Tackling this problem requires a concerted effort from multiple players including governments, NGOs, consumer groups, police forces, legislators, retailers, hotel, bar and restaurant owners and community groups. Our goal is to do our part against alcohol abuse and make moderation ‘cool’. We want our brands to be central to our moderation message: stay in control of your actions and enjoy your experiences.”
Van den Eijnden says ‘ Enjoy Heineken Responsibly’ is a global brand-led approach launched in 2004. He adds, “Whilst it is the flagship of our commitments, we are of course promoting responsible consumption throughout our brand portfolio. As an industry leader, we believe we should lead by example, playing an active role in promoting responsible and moderate consumption of alcohol.”
“Many markets have developed tailored activations to spread the message locally. We also work in partnership with stakeholders to encourage responsible attitudes and to understand and address alcohol misuse.”
Elaborating on the Sir Jackie Stewart TV ad, Van den Eijnden says, “The response has been great because he is such an iconic racing personality.”
Born in 1939, Sir Jackie was involved with cars from an early age. Leaving school at 15, (his dyslexia undiagnosed until much later), he found his personal voice in sport; first as an Olympic-class shot, then in motor racing.
His motor racing career took off internationally in 1965 when, at Monza, he scored the first of his 27 Grand Prix Championship victories. During his career, he was crowned three-time World Champion and achieved a total of 27 victories, out of 99 races. In 1988 he formed, with his son Paul, Paul Stewart Racing; subsequently, in 1996, forming Stewart Grand Prix which was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1999.
Sir Jackie was awarded the OBE in 1972 and was knighted in 2001. He was awarded an Honorary Professorship from the University of Stirling and received eight Honorary Doctorates from US and Scottish and English Universities. He has received honours from His Majesty the King of Jordan and His Majesty the King of Bahrain.
Formula 1®, which began in 1950, is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition and is the world’s most popular annual sporting series. In 2015 it was watched by 400 million unique television viewers from over 200 territories. The 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship™ runs from March to November and spans 21 races in 21 countries across five continents.
Underpinning this is a Cool@Work pro- gramme to encourage HEINEKEN's 85 000 employees worldwide to be ambassadors for the responsible consumption agenda within and without the company. The programme also offers help to employees with problems in this regard.
He adds, “Alcoholic beverages can be part of a healthy lifestyle as long as they are taken in moderation. Moderate drinkers can enjoy and take pride in drinking our HEINEKEN brands.
Our Cool@Work programme aims to inform all our colleagues around the world about the importance of consuming alcohol responsibly, to help promote healthy working conditions and to boost a healthy lifestyle in general. Cool@Work provides these facts:
● Alcohol lowers your level of consciousness; even a small amount of alcohol in your blood affects your level of perception and ability to respond;
● It takes between one and two hours per glass before your body can rid itself of alcohol. It makes no difference whether your weight is 70 or 100 kilos;
● Coffee does not have a sobering effect; it will only serve to further dehydrate you;
● After drinking only two or three glasses of alcohol you will generally already be at the legal limit of 0.05g per 100ml and breath alcohol of 0.24mg per 1000ml;
● If you have been drinking heavily in the evening, your blood will still contain alcohol the next morning;
● If you have an accident when under the influence of alcohol, you are personally liable;
● Excessive drinking may lead to serious health issues including: despondency, fatigue or lower energy level; a defective memory; a higher risk of liver disorders, sexual disorders, mouth cancer, throat cancer, cancer of the oesophagus, stomach, liver and intestinal cancer; and,
● During long flights travellers are exposed to extremely dry air – this means they lose fluid. Drink moderate quantities of alcohol and large quantities of water or fruit juice during your flight.