The Paradox of Heineken: Conservative Yet Aspirational

For most of the 20th century, Heineken was the country's top imported beer by far, and by the 80s, thanks to decades of empire-building effort by its third-party American importer, New York's Leo Van Munching and Company, the Dutch brand commanded prestige and premium pricing Stateside. When Philip Van Munching joined the family firm in the 80s, his challenge was figuring out a way to market Heineken's mystique to modern drinkers without cheapening the brand by pandering to the era's prominent mainstream trendsetters ("yuppies," young urban professionals) all while challengers like Corona and Samuel Adams began to complicate the narrative. (This is Part 1 of a Taplines two-parter. Part 2 will appear directly after this in your feed.) Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe!

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