Heineken Malaysia appoints new media agency

HEINEKEN Global appointed Carat of the Dentsu Aegis Network as its second global media agency network in Jan 2017, in addition to Starcom Mediavest Group. As part of its integration with HEINEKEN, Heineken Malaysia Berhad (formerly Guinness Anchor Berhad) has moved to align itself with this global arrangement by appointing Carat Malaysia as its local media agency, replacing Maxus Malaysia, part of GroupM, with whom it has partnered with for more than two decades.

In a note of thanks to Maxus, Maud Meijboom van Wel, HEINEKEN Malaysia Marketing Director, said,

“We deeply appreciate the long service of Maxus, Mindshare and GroupM to HEINEKEN Malaysia. We have enjoyed a great partnership that has been productive and mutually rewarding. Their fantastic work has helped us build iconic brands, enjoyed by consumers across Malaysia.”

“Throughout this partnership, Maxus have played an instrumental role in enabling HEINEKEN Malaysia reach out to a wider audience, strengthening the market-leading position of our brand portfolio. We wish them the best for the future and trust they will continue making waves in the industry with their effective strategies and execution. Thank you again to the great team at Maxus,” she added.

Speaking on behalf of Maxus, Girish Menon, GroupM CEO, said, “It has been a privilege for a whole generation of planners at Maxus and previously Mindshare to have worked on such iconic brands like Heineken®, Tiger, Guinness, Anchor and Strongbow. All of us at GroupM have had such a strong sense of closeness and ownership with these brands. We understand the reality of global agency alignments and would like to thank the marketing team at HEINEKEN Malaysia for all the memorable years.”

“Our friends at Carat now have the good fortune to work with a marketing team who are not just on top of their game, but are also a group of fun-loving and genuinely warm individuals. We wish HEINEKEN Malaysia all the very best for the future,” he added.

The appointment of Carat Malaysia is the result of a competitive and stringent selection process in alignment with HEINEKEN Global’s requirements. This new relationship will enable HEINEKEN Malaysia to leverage on the strategic capabilities of Carat Global, to implement integrated strategies, as part of the HEINEKEN Group, to drive the impactful execution of world class campaigns, ensuring the Company continues winning with a brand-led and consumer-inspired approach.