Heineken India celebrates diversity with bold Queenfisher campaign

Heineken India is breaking boundaries and challenging industry norms with its groundbreaking Queenfisher campaign – an initiative started win 2021 celebrating courageous strides taken by women behind India’s favourite beers.

The Queenfisher initiative is designed to empower women employees and redefine perceptions of the brewing industry. The campaign not only celebrates female talent but also aims to position Heineken as a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in India.

The brewing industry in India has traditionally been seen as taboo for women and we recognised the need for change. We have taken purposeful actions to increase gender diversity:

Reworking the Employer Value Proposition to attract a diverse workforce.

Implementing training and education programmes to address unconscious bias.

Introducing supportive policies and initiatives to support work-life balance.

Building the infrastructure to enable an equitable environment

Launching dedicated mentorship and leadership development programmes to accelerate career development for women, such as Up! Surge, an external programme designed to help women map their career paths.

Ensuring inclusive recruitment at all levels, with a special focus on hiring diverse early career talent from campuses

Internal Queenfisher campaign recognising and celebrating the ‘women behind India’s favourite beer’

Queenfisher: a game-changing campaign created by women, for women

While the female consumer segment in India’s beer market has grown to 5%, it remains largely overlooked in the marketing campaigns of major companies. Heineken’s Queenfisher campaign set out to change this, driven by an all-women team and focused on the theme of unfiltered bonds of sisterhood.

Key highlights of the campaign include:

Reimagining Kingfisher as Queenfisher, a bold and symbolic move that honours women talent and leadership.

Designing a limited-edition Queenfisher beer featuring a fresh brew and a can design celebrating women, which is now a part of the company’s offering.

Launching a marketing campaign with an authentic female perspective, showcasing the power of sisterhood.

Reimagining the iconic Kingfisher Calendar through a woman’s lens, celebrating unfiltered connections between women.

Achieving measurable impact

The gender diversity initiatives have driven transformative results for UBL /Heineken in India. The proportion of women in the workforce has grown from 5.8% to 25% in less than three years while representation of women in senior management increased from 0% in 2021 to 25% in 2024.

The celebratory campaigns on Queenfisher on LinkedIn and the marketing campaign garnered overwhelming consumer response, particularly following its launch on International Women’s Day.

Queenfisher made headlines across India, sparking conversations and earning national recognition:

51 million impressions across social media with an engagement rate of 45%.

Extensive PR coverage on national news channels and digital platforms.

Millions of organic views on social media, showcasing Queenfisher as a cultural phenomenon and a bold step for a market-leading brand.

Heineken India’s Queenfisher campaign demonstrates that diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it drives innovation, relevance and business performance. By empowering women in the workplace and connecting authentically with female consumers, our aim is to reshape the beer industry for a more inclusive and equitable future.