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Heineken Tests WhatsApp Bot in Brazil That Turns Long Voice Notes Into Free Beer Vouchers

The pilot uses a three‑minute audio threshold to reward forwarding a received note with a drink coupon to prompt real-life meetups.

Overview

  • Users in Brazil who are 18 or older can forward a received voice note longer than three minutes to a private, encrypted bot to receive a free beer voucher and nearby bar suggestions.
  • Heineken positions the tool as a nudge away from one‑way audio monologues toward face‑to‑face conversations over a beer.
  • A company‑commissioned OnePoll survey of 14,000 people reports nearly 150 hours a year spent on voice notes, with 55% often forgetting to listen, 88% forgetting what was said, and 52% saying they replace in‑person interactions.
  • Statista data cited by the campaign estimates about 9.4 billion WhatsApp voice notes are sent daily, with frequency up 7% and average length up 8% versus 2024.
  • Heineken says the Brazil test is the first step with further markets planned, noting Meta data that Brazilians send four times as many voice notes as any other country.