Heineken USA Chooses Manning Selvage & Lee

04/08/06 Heineken USA, the nation's largest beer importer, has selected Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) as its public relations agency of record (AOR) for the Corporation and its portfolio of brands including: Heineken, Heineken Premium Light (HPL) and Amstel Light. Headquartered in New York City, MS&L is one of the world's leading global public relations firms and a member of the Publicis Groupe SA.

The Heineken USA AOR assignment will include corporate and brand communications, as well as interactive, events, sponsorship, corporate social responsibility and diversity marketing.

"As the world's leader in premium imported brands, we wanted an agency that really understood the specialness of our products and the discerning tastes of our consumers," said Ken Kunze, Vice President of Marketing, Heineken USA. "MS&L had deep insights into both and was a perfect fit with our other agency partners. We're confident that MS&L will help us even further raise the profile of our portfolio among our core audiences and connect with them in the truly unique and premium way for which the Heineken USA brands are known."

In January, Heineken USA selected MS&L to develop and execute its public relations program in support of the national launch of Heineken Premium Light, among the beer industry's most successful product launches. This launch was consistent with Heineken's strategy to expand its product portfolio and capture an ever-growing share of the premium import segment of the US beer market.

"Building our corporate reputation and reinforcing our commitment to responsible marketing is also of primary importance and we're confident MS&L is the right agency to handle this aspect of the assignment," said Dan Tearno, Vice President, Corporate Relations, Heineken USA.

Tearno continued, "In selecting an AOR, we also wanted a partner that understood the importance of corporate reputation and market leadership. During the launch of HPL as well as the AOR pitch process, MS&L clearly demonstrated both."

This appointment is effective immediately. "MS&L is honored to represent Heineken USA as their AOR," said Jim Tsokanos, Managing Director of MS&L's New York office. "We look forward to helping Heineken USA further elevate their already iconic brands and strong corporate reputation."