In line with the famous words of Freddy Heineken, the brand's founder, who once stated, "I don't sell beer, I sell gezelligheid," Heineken® aims to place good times at the forefront of its global birthday festivities. "Gezelligheid" translates to that feeling of conviviality and enjoyment, which has been at the core of the Heineken® brand for the past century and a half.

Recognizing that good times have evolved over the years while remaining crucial in people's lives, Heineken® has conducted extensive research in collaboration with academics. The goal was to better understand the ingredients required to deliver the modern-day experience of "good times," an aspect of human needs that has been surprisingly understudied.

As a pivotal moment in the brand's history, Heineken® has decided to redefine its measures of success. In addition to sales volumes and traditional brand tracking metrics, the company will now focus on the good times it provides to customers in over 190 countries. To achieve this, Heineken® collaborated with Dr. Chris Brauer, a behavioral scientist from Goldsmiths, University of London, to create the 'Good Times Index.' This novel brand measurement model evaluates the brand's contribution to creating optimal conditions for good times. Through extensive human behavioral research, the index has identified five fundamental conditions necessary for individuals to experience good times, including open-mindedness, inclusivity, and human connection.

By incorporating the Good Times Index into its operations, Heineken® demonstrates its commitment to prioritizing the creation of good times alongside its beer production. The brand aims to become the first beer brand to officially measure its annual performance based on the delivery of good times. Bram Westenbrink, Global Head of the Heineken® Brand, explains, "Brewing good times has been in our DNA for 150 years. That is why we are evolving our brand metrics to show that creating good times is equally as important as the beer we produce."

Dr. Chris Brauer, the Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, added, "There has never been a more important time or opportunity to measure the role and prevalence of good times in our lives, so I'm excited to see a brand like Heineken® take serious steps to ensure that they are better understanding and enabling that feeling of 'gezelligheid.'"

The release of Heineken's® inaugural results from the Good Times Index coincides with a socially significant moment globally, as 87% of consumers believe that having a good time is more important now than ever. Interestingly, the research also revealed that 82% of respondents prioritize being with friends over the success of their plans for the night. Additionally, 75% of those surveyed believe that watching a sports match with the right company is more important than the outcome of the game.

Despite the increased importance of personal connections since the pandemic, over half of the respondents (61%) agreed that due to the current economic climate, they would be willing to work overtime and sacrifice social moments with loved ones. Nevertheless, the majority (88%) of participants expressed open-mindedness about good times, indicating that their best memories often stem from unexpected moments. Furthermore, 78% of respondents