Heineken opens up on tech stack
Heineken's global media lead Ron Amram says the company is pivoting towards first party data; that platforms could solve duplicated reach if they wanted to; and that its programmatic vendors need to "stay good" … or else (Digiday).
Key points:
• Heineken warns agencies, platforms and vendors to deliver better measurement and creativity or lose out
• It says Google and Facebook are unwilling to solve duplicated reach despite having tools to do so, yet Heineken "has to keep those businesses close"
• Aims to strike more private marketplace deals, says focus on lowest cost fuels lack of transparency
• On GDPR impact: "Our focus is on pivoting toward the data that we're legally allowed to use … We’ve moved toward becoming more of a data company."
Heineken's view that too much focus on lowest media cost fuels major transparency problems is telling. The brewer joins a growing line-up of big advertisers wanting more transparency and data from their partners – and willing to pay more to get it. The flip side is that legal concerns could force Heineken and other to go the other way and invest in its own data capabilities rather than outside.
The brewer is in-housing various aspects of marketing, for example building a creative team. "Pivoting towards the data we are legally allowed to use", could also indicate a more committed direct to consumer play, as other brewers are attempting and as Heineken has done in London with Deliveroo since 2016 (and as this company would have you believe). But despite the implicit and explicit threats, Amram's comments around Facebook and Google are telling: The platforms are still having it mostly their own way.
