Exploration pitch on a new beer credit app for Heineken
Problem to solve
One of Heineken service offerings is the Beer credit app. This existing app offers the possibility to save beer credits that can be spend in a pub. When a customer buys beer at the supermarket, the customer receives a code that can be scanned using the Beer credit app. This code resembles one beer credit for a Heineken 0.0 that can be spend in a pub where Heineken is served. This app makes it easier for people to buy a round, according to Heineken. But most of all, the underlying reason for this app is to make sure customers go to a pub where Heineken is served. This app will stop existing by the end of 2019, because it is not used the way Heineken is hoping. The question I and my colleague asked ourselves? How and in what way can we revive the Heineken beer credit app?
What I did
Kick-off
During this phase we discussed the plan, scope and metrics of the project.
Research & Analysis
To gather insights into the current Beer credit app and the current processes between Heineken, its suppliers and users, we performed a desk research and spoke to multiple stakeholders (pub owners, pub visitors, Heineken) of the app. Our main goal was to discover their needs. After our interview we understand why the existing Beer creditapp will stop existing by the end of the year. The need for pub owners and visitors is lying somewhere else. But where? In the start of our research we also considered the option to include cryptocurrency, like beer coins. However, we soon decided that we did not want to proceed this, because the last thing we want is to stimulate alcohol use by making beer credits worth more or less. This is also prohibited by law and therefor not of interest for Heineken. To discover what Heineken can mean in a pub visit for both pub visitors and pub employees, we draw a customer journey for both user groups. We want to discover their ‘moments of truth’ and the touch points that can service these moments of truth. We soon discovered that ordering and paying were the most important moments, especially splitting orders and payments.
Ideation
With these insights in mind, we switched the focus of the app from saving Heineken credits to ease a pub visit for both pub visitors and pub employees. If Heineken could service these moments of ordering and paying, make them easier and fun for both visitor and pub employees, they can enlarge their position because this service will have a positive effect on their brand image. Next to Heineken, other drinks/food of other brands can be ordered. The app will be of interest for a wider public. For pub users it should be easy to upload their assortment in the app. To make sure pub visitors still order Heineken, the Heineken beer credits need to stay, next to proper functionality for ordering and paying. The app can only exist by the use of a proper payment solution, for which we are in contact with several providers. In our pitch we already want to include a suitable solution.
Prototyping
All our ideas are processed via paper sketches into a clickable prototype. To do so, I used Axure RP.
Impact & Learnings
The outcome of our initiative were designs of our first idea that we wanted to pitch to Heineken. The app will facilitate the option to see where your friends are, create an event and a ‘pot’, order drinks/food and (separately) pay the bill. Unfortunately we never came to the point that we could pitch it to Heineken because of other priorities.
