Heineken® Launches New WhatsApp Technology That Swaps Voice Notes for Real Life Conversations Over a Beer

Rhea-AI Summary

Heineken (HEINY) launched a WhatsApp pilot on Dec 12, 2025 that swaps long voice notes for a free beer and local bar recommendations to encourage in‑person conversations. The bot accepts forwarded WhatsApp voice notes longer than 3 minutes and returns a voucher.

The campaign follows global research of 14,000 respondents and Statista data reporting 9.4 billion daily WhatsApp voice notes (frequency +7% YoY, length +8%). Survey highlights: 52% say voice notes replace IRL interactions (60% Gen Z), 49% skip meetups to send voice notes, 55% forget to listen, and 88% forget message content.

Key Figures

Daily WhatsApp voice notes 9.4 billion per day Global WhatsApp voice notes usage

Annual WhatsApp voice notes 3.4 trillion per year Global WhatsApp voice notes usage

Usage increase frequency 7% Increase in voice note frequency vs 2024

Usage increase length 8% Increase in voice note length vs 2024

Survey respondents 14,000 people Heineken-commissioned global research sample size

Time spent on voice notes 150 hours per year Average person sending/receiving voice notes

Voice notes replace IRL 52% Share feeling voice notes replace in-person interactions

Forget content of messages 88% Share who forget what was said in voice notes

Market Reality Check

$40.42 Last Close

Volume Volume 889,571 is about 4.1x the 20-day average of 216,986, indicating elevated interest ahead of/around this campaign news. high

Technical Price at 40.42 is trading below the 200-day MA of 41.74, suggesting a still-cautious longer-term trend despite today’s uptick.

Peers on Argus

HEINY gained 1.46% with strong volume, while key peers were mixed: HKHHY up 1.47%, PRNDY up 0.68%, DANOY up 0.51%, DGEAF up 0.49%, but PDRDF down 3.52%. The move appears more stock-specific than a clear sector-wide rotation.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 10	Marketing initiative	Positive	+1.8%	Launch of WhatsApp pilot in Brazil rewarding long voice notes with free beer.
Dec 09	Brand collaboration	Positive	-1.2%	Heineken 0.0 and LÕK debut padel racket with integrated bottle opener.
Dec 08	Share buyback update	Positive	-1.4%	Progress report on <b>€1.5 billion</b> buyback and shares repurchased to Dec 5.
Dec 05	Management change	Positive	-1.1%	Appointment of new Regional President Americas aligned with EverGreen strategy.
Dec 04	Consumer trends study	Positive	-0.2%	Global research on rising low- and no-alcohol consumption over holidays.

Pattern Detected

Recent HEINY headlines are mostly strategic/brand-building or capital return, yet the stock has often traded lower on such news, with only one clear positive alignment in the last five events.

Recent Company History

Over the past weeks, HEINY has focused on brand engagement, innovation and capital returns. A €1.5 billion share buyback has been progressing, while leadership in the Americas was refreshed effective 1 March 2026. Multiple marketing initiatives, including alcohol-free positioning and the WhatsApp pilot, highlight emphasis on consumer trends and real-life socializing. Despite generally constructive news flow, shares showed negative reactions after four of the last five items, making today’s constructive response to the WhatsApp technology notable in that context.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Heineken’s use of WhatsApp technology to convert long voice-note exchanges into in-person meetups, offering free beer vouchers when users forward messages over three minutes. Backed by research on 14,000 respondents and daily volumes of 9.4 billion voice notes, it reinforces a strategy around real-life socializing and digital engagement. Investors may watch how this Brazilian pilot scales to other markets and whether similar campaigns accompany ongoing buybacks and leadership changes.

Key Terms

whatsapp bot technical

"Heineken® has created a WhatsApp bot in a bid to transform long voice note"

A WhatsApp bot is an automated software program that sends and receives messages through the WhatsApp platform to handle tasks like customer questions, notifications, appointment booking, or simple transactions without a human operator. For investors, it matters because these bots can cut customer-service costs, speed up sales and support, and scale communication like adding a self-serve storefront in a busy store; their effectiveness can affect revenue, user growth, and regulatory or privacy risk exposure.

encrypted bot technical

"forward a voice note that they have received, which is longer than three minutes, to a private, encrypted bot."

An encrypted bot is an automated software program that carries out tasks—such as placing trades, processing data, or interacting with other systems—while using encryption to hide or protect its code, messages and stored information from view or tampering. For investors, this matters because encryption can be used legitimately to keep sensitive trading instructions and customer data safe, or it can be used to conceal harmful activities like market manipulation or fraud, affecting risk, transparency and regulatory attention.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

• More than nine billion voice notes are now sent every day, meaning they’ve become a new global symbol of digital distraction
• They’re getting longer, more one sided, and killing the art of conversation - some 76% of people globally says voice notes tend to be self-involved and over half even feel that they are replacing IRL connections
• In a new tech pilot, Heineken^® has created a WhatsApp bot in a bid to transform long voice note monologues into real-life chats
• App users who receive voice notes lasting three minutes or longer can exchange them for a free beer - and it comes with a recommendation of local bars to try too

AMSTERDAM, Dec. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We’ve all been sent voice notes that - instead of offering a quick update - turn into miniature podcasts lasting what seems like forever.

In the increasingly digital world we live in, voice notes are turning into yet another distraction that encourages us to bury our heads in our smartphones rather than making real life connections. Now Heineken^®, the champion of IRL socialising, has launched new WhatsApp technology that offers an ingenious incentive to those who’d prefer to meet up and connect face-to-face, bringing back the art of in person conversation.

The technology has been launched as a pilot in Brazil, where official data from META shows that Brazilians send four times as many voice notes than people in any other country.

The tech was devised after global research polling 14,000 respondents showed that in just one year, the average person spends almost 150 hours a year sending and receiving voice notes.

Not only are people spending a significant amount of time listening to voice notes, but they are impacting real-life social interactions too. Over half (52%) of those polled feel voice notes are replacing IRL interactions, rising to 60% amongst Gen Z. Nearly half (49%), meanwhile, admit to spending entire evenings sending voice notes to a friend instead of meeting in-person, even though 54% say they have their most fulfilling conversations face-to-face.

Global data and business intelligence platform Statista reported, in groundbreaking new data, that 9.4 billion WhatsApp voice notes are now sent every day (equivalent to about 3.4 trillion over the full year). When compared to 2024, their frequency has increased by 7%, and in length by 8%.

Stacy Jo Dixon, Social Media and Society Expert at Statista, said: “Our data suggests that voice notes are not just growing in frequency but also length. With nearly 9.5 billion voice notes sent daily on WhatsApp alone (compared to 7 billion in 2022), it’s evident that voice messaging is reshaping the way we communicate across the globe and taking on a more prominent role alongside traditional in-person interactions.”

While many use voice notes as a ‘catch up shortcut’, people are barely engaged with them. Over half (55%) admit they often forget to listen to them, and even when they do listen, attention is low: 88% forget what was actually said in the message.

Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken^Ⓡ, said: "Just like we all know meetings that ‘could have been an email’, we’re now seeing voice notes that ‘Could have been a Heineken’.

“Voice notes can feel more personal than reading a message, but what our research shows is that we need to make sure they don’t turn into mini-podcasts, and that we’re having two-way conversations rather than an extended monologue.

“At Heineken, we want to make it easier for people to share moments of socialisation in real life. That’s why we have launched the ‘Could have been a Heineken’ WhatsApp bot, incentivising people to swap long voice notes for a refreshing in-person catch up over a beer of course.”

The ‘Could have been a Heineken’ WhatsApp technology is currently being tested in Brazil, with further global markets set to follow.

To redeem the offer, WhatsApp users over 18 must forward a voice note that they have received, which is longer than three minutes, to a private, encrypted bot. The user will then receive a message saying it ‘Could have been a Heineken’, alongside a voucher for a free beer and a recommendation of local bars to meet up with the friend in real life.

Notes to editors
Media contact:
HeinekenBrazil@wearetheromans.com

Research Credits:
*Heineken commissioned a survey of 14,000 respondents across the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, India, Brazil, United Arab Emirates and Romania. Research conducted by OnePoll, November 2025.

*Separately, Heineken commissioned Statista to supply the global data on voice note usage in 2024 and 2025

About Heineken^®
HEINEKEN^® is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken^® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN® has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken® N.V. and Heineken® Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN® has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken® N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken® Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd460a71-4e67-44c6-8b0c-cb1696242367

FAQ

What is Heineken's WhatsApp pilot for HEINY launched on December 12, 2025?

Heineken launched a WhatsApp bot pilot in Brazil that lets users forward voice notes longer than 3 minutes to receive a free beer voucher and local bar recommendations.

How does a WhatsApp user redeem the HEINY free beer offer in the pilot?

Users over 18 forward a received WhatsApp voice note longer than 3 minutes to the encrypted Heineken bot and receive a voucher plus local bar suggestions.

What research supports Heineken's HEINY campaign on voice notes?

Heineken commissioned a 14,000‑respondent survey and used Statista data showing 9.4 billion WhatsApp voice notes daily, with frequency +7% and length +8% versus prior data.

What consumer effects did Heineken report that justify the HEINY WhatsApp promotion?

Survey highlights: 52% say voice notes replace IRL interactions, 60% among Gen Z, 49% skip meetups to send notes, 55% forget to listen, and 88% forget content.

Is the HEINY WhatsApp technology available globally or only in Brazil?

The pilot is currently being tested in Brazil, with further global markets planned to follow.