EURO | Tips From Heineken on How To Maximise the Tournament
HEINEKEN SHARES TIPS AND INSIGHTS TO MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITY OF UEFA EURO 2020™TOURNAMENT THIS SUMMER
As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport, Heineken® is offering tips and insights to help operators make the most of the tournament this summer
From creating the perfect set-up, to enhancing the atmosphere and driving visibility, Heineken® has the know-how to help operators win big over the UEFA EURO 2020™ trading period
Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on Matchpint and invested over £200k in pub gardens to help drive footfall before and during UEFA EURO 2020™
Aligning with the highly anticipated reopening of the on trade, UEFA EURO 2020™ is set to be one of the most important sporting events ever for driving footfall and revenue. Football tournaments attract millions of customers who are willing to trade up and spend more, so it’s key to make sure your outlet is a go-to for fans. As the Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™ and the number one beer associated with sport, Heineken® has the insights and advice to help you attract customers, increase dwell time and boost sales – ultimately delivering an unforgettable tournament experience.
On top of over £2million worth of investment provided directly to pubs through its UEFA EURO 2020TM support packages, Heineken® has launched the ‘Heineken® Check In Challenge’ on MatchPint. Fans are encouraged to visit their local in the run up to the tournament for the chance to win over 100 pairs of match tickets. Heineken® is also supporting stockists with over £200k investment in pub gardens to maximise capacity and increase viewing areas.
Creating the perfect formation
Great atmosphere is a vital consideration for UEFA EURO 2020™ fans, so think about how you can enhance this in your venue and bring the tournament to life safely whilst delivering a great experience. Position screens in well-lit and open spaces, outside where possible, to maximise space and promote social distancing while ensuring all tables have a clear view of the game. Check your speakers and volume in advance to ensure fans can hear every moment of the action.
Take advantage of tech innovations including Order & Pay services to manage table bookings, speed up service and even take pre-orders! We know that 77% of consumers don’t want to queue at the bar while enjoying sport, so this can help keep your customers satisfied and your table service system running smoothly. But don’t let tech do away with the social connections that your customers have missed – friendly greetings, good service and recommendations from staff truly make the on trade experience!
To ensure that premiership service, focus on the pinch points. Is everyone fully trained on the till systems so they can easily process any out of stocks, new lines or kitchen notes? Just like a football team, it’s also useful to allocate specific roles to certain members – like glass collection or prompting repeat orders at table, particularly during the actual game itself which can avoid bottlenecks immediately before kick-off, at half time and at the final whistle. If your squad is well trained and ready, everyone wins.
Enhancing the atmosphere
Decorate to create a buzz! Dress your venue with flags and team colours to set the mood and create a carnival atmosphere, switching it up from game to game so that customers feel part of the action. If you requested a UEFA EURO 2020™ visibility kit from Heineken®, put your posters up in hot spots like entrances / exits, toilets and in your outdoor space to drive footfall and spend, and encourage staff to get into the spirit by wearing the t-shirts and scarves while serving.
Scoring the right food and drink offering
As 51% of customers want food before the game starts and 37% after the match finishes, offering food and drink deals such as simple ‘burger and drink’ promotions or package deals for larger groups, will help extend your trading period and increase spend per head. Refine your menu and encourage pre-ordering of food and drink packages for groups who reserve a table – this will aid your kitchen staff, as well as help manage stock orders. Don’t forget your match-day offers need to be easy to understand and quick to serve, as everything has to be geared to making the most of the big occasion.
A whopping £4.7 billion worth of drinks were sold (the equivalent of 546 million pints of beer) over an 8-week period during the World Cup in 2018, so delivering what your consumers are looking for is vital – and that’s beer!
Bring in the key beer players, especially classic lager
Lager is the top choice for consumers during sporting events, with 87% of UEFA EURO 2020™ consumers finding the range of lager important. Heineken® is the number one beer associated with sport and Official Beer Partner of UEFA EURO 2020™. Actively sought out by consumers to enjoy while watching the match, Heineken® lager over-indexes on social get-together occasions. What’s more, offering Heineken® on draught means more money through the till as it has the strongest value rate of sale as the sole stocked mainstream premium lager and can command the highest price per pint in the category. Heineken® appeals to the younger consumer willing to spend more money per pint, making it the best mainstream premium brand to back for this year’s tournament.
Considering that 60% of British consumers are looking to “treat themselves” this summer, stocking Heineken®Served Extra Cold is perfect for those looking for that more premium experience, just the ticket for consumers trading up to celebrate the tournament. Its eye-catching dual iced fount increases visibility and helps boost revenue, with a rate of sale uplift of +24% versus the classic Heineken® fount.
Don’t forget the moderators! With 50% of UK consumers now moderating their alcohol intake, Heineken 0.0 is the perfect alcohol-free option for UEFA EURO 2o20™ fans who want to feel part of the occasion. Heineken 0.0 is the number one no and low alcohol brand and delivers twice the rate of sale than other packaged brands in this segment.
Drink sales really ramp-up from around 1.5 hours before the match and are often five to six times higher than normal around kick-off. To help relieve pressure on staff, aim to create more serving spaces where possible, particularly outdoors. Make use of countertop draught systems such as BLADE or think about renting moveable SmartDispense™BarPro systems to help you serve more, great quality pints during the tournament. Whatever you do, it’s important to deliver a perfect serve, every time. A fresh, cold, perfectly poured pint is something that consumers can only get from their local and therefore plays a huge role enticing them back into the pub and shaping their sporting experience.
Promoting an unrivalled offering and key fixtures
Once you’ve established a winning offering, don’t forget to shout about it! Considering 70% of consumers get their information on an outlet’s offerings through social media, promote the sporting events you’re showing well in advance on your website and social channels as well as on A-boards outside the pub, to drive footfall and sales.
Social posts ahead of match days or events will remind people of your venue as a sports destination, helping encourage pre-booking and generating buzz. For best practice, it’s recommended that each specific sporting event gets 2+ posts in the lead up to match-days and that you state all the details clearly on the day of the game. Excite and tempt customers with videos of perfectly poured pints, outdoor space and the exhilaration of match day. Familiarise yourself with the fixtures and plan accordingly – while there’s no guarantee as to the home nations’ performance, let’s prepare to win!
