Heineken N.V. has signed a deal with Google to run Heineken ads on YouTube and mobile display ads in exchange for consumer data. The brewing company is discussing a similar partnership with Facebook, the company said on June 30. Marnie Kontovraki, brand PR press officer at Heineken N.V., said that the companies reached the agreement in March.
In addition to rolling out YouTube and mobile ads in 20 countries including the US and Mexico, Google will provide Heineken with data such as consumers’ search queries that Heineken will use to glean consumer insights, said Kontovraki. She said that Heineken will use this data “mostly to improve our campaign effectiveness.” As part of the deal, Google employees will also share “their knowledge and know-how on [the] digital space” with marketing employees at the company’s Heineken University, said Kontovraki.
Google confirmed the deal but referred requests for comment to Heineken.
Heineken’s mobile ads will target consumers in “emerging markets” such as India, South Africa and Nigeria because “in most of these markets mobile Internet grows faster than desktop use,” said Kontovraki.
Heineken’s annual advertising budget stands at €2.1 billion (roughly $3 billion), she said, with 4% being spent on online marketing.
The Financial Times first reported news of the partnership on June 30.
