This company profile of Heineken reveals the unethical practices of the world’s second largest beer producer. It provides examples of harmful methods across the categories of political interference, promotion, sabotage, manipulation, and deception – the Dubious 5 strategies.
INTRODUCTION
Heineken N.V. is the world’s second-largest beer producer. It is a Dutch multinational alcohol company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Dolf van den Brink is the CEO of Heineken since July 2020.
- The Heineken brand portfolio consists of over 170 beer brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Cruzcampo, Affligem, Zywiec, Starobrno, Tiger, Red Stripe and Birra Moretti.
In November 2021, Heineken NV took over Distell Group Holdings Ltd, a South African wine and Spirits company for €2.2 billion, creating a new regional group to compete with larger rivals AB InBev and liquor giant Diageo Plc.
FAST FACTS ABOUT HEINEKEN IN 2023
Total revenue: €36.4 billion
Operating profit: €4.44 billion (BEIA*, 2022)
Marketing spending: €2.73 billion
Lobbying spending (EU): €200,000 – 299,999 (2022, EU only)
Total volume beer sold: 242.6 million hl
Global beer market share (volume): 13.6%
Number of employees: 89,732
Worldwide operations: 72
*BEIA, Before Exceptional Items and Amortization
Lists of the richest individuals in the beverage sector show that ownership is distributed among a few wealthy families and corporate empires. Among the wealthiest in the alcohol beverages world are Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and her husband Michel de Carvalho, with a combined fortune of the equivalent of €180 billion. They control about 23% of the Heineken Group, the world’s second largest brewing group. The Drinks Business reports.
Brands (International)
- Amstel
- Heineken
- Sol
- Tiger
- Birra Moretti
- Edelweiss
- Desperados
HEINEKEN INVOLVEMENT IN FRONT GROUPS
Heineken pays a host of front groups to conduct lobbying on the behalf of the Dutch beer giant.
- International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD),
- The Portman Group,
- World Brewing Alliance,
- The Brewers of Europe,
- The International Brands Association,
- The World Federation of Advertisers,
- European Round Table of Industrialists,
- Re-Source Europe,
- World Economic Forum, and
- Consumer Goods Forum
Unethical practices by Heineken
Deception, Political interference How Big Alcohol Stole the Budget: Inside the Industry Campaign That Derailed South Africa’s Alcohol Tax Ambitions
South Africa’s 2026 Budget set alcohol excise at a 3.4% increase – a clear retreat from last year’s above-inflation adjustment and a ...
Deception, Promotion Heineken on the Tube: TfL’s Public Health Double Standard
How Heineken exploited a gap in Transport for London’s advertising policy to embed alcohol branding in public infrastructure. In ...
Political interference Alcohol Industry Uses Inflated Job Claims and Fake Civil Society to Derail Nigeria’s Sachet Ban
Nigeria’s move to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcohol – formats designed for ultra-availability, low price and youth appeal – ...
UK Alcohol Duty Makes Beer Giant Lower Alcohol Content In Its Products
Heineken UK is lowering the alcohol strength of Foster’s lager from 3.7% to 3.4% because the UK’s strength-based alcohol duty makes ...
Deception Heineken CEO Pushes Misleading Mental Health Claims to Sell More Beer
Heineken’s chief executive, Dolf van den Brink, recently maid misleading claims that beer could help ease loneliness and even address the ...
Promotion Heineken Exploits Social Media “Engagement” to Fuel High-Risk Alcohol Use in Mexico
Heineken Mexico systematically uses social media as both a marketing channel and a product development tool. In El Economista, company ...