Heineken Partners with BIC in New CSR Initiative
HEINEKEN USA, the nation’s leading upscale beer importer, is partnering with BIC Class of 2017 on a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that amplifies its current DRINK OR DRIVE campaign which encourages people to make responsible drinking choices. Tara Rush, Chief Corporate Relations Officer of HEINEKEN USA, and Tina Kaiser, Director at APCO Worldwide, came to The City College campus last Thursday to brief the class on the parameters of the assignment.
Tara Rush, Chief Corporate Relations Officer of Heineken, USA |
As part of the company’s commitment to eliminate drunk driving, HEINEKEN USA (HUSA) has re-examined the way this topic is typically communicated. The commonly used phrase “Don’t drink and drive" includes the conjunction “and” which implicitly links together the words "drinking" and "driving." HUSA wants to strengthen the antithetical nature of those two actions and replace the word “and” with “or.” By asking the question, “Will you drink or drive?”, HUSA believes it can change an age-old conversation, transform consumer behavior, and promote better decision-making.
Tina Kaiser, Director at APCO Worldwide |
Advocating responsible citizens and better decision-making is a part of HUSA’s "Brewing a Better World" philosophy and is a key priority within the company’s global business strategy. This makes Heineken a progressive voice in the beverage industry and speaks to the brand’s core values. BICsters were especially excited to join Heineken in its efforts to change the public narrative.
Each Spring, BICsters compete as three interdisciplinary teams to develop branding and integrated communications campaigns for a corporate client that are pitched at the end of the semester. Past clients have included Universal Music Group and Univision. This capstone course is overseen by BIC Program Director, Professor Nancy R. Tag.