Concha y Toro Kicks Off Global Marketing Agreement With Manchester United Football Club

SANTIAGO, Chile, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Concha y Toro (NYSE: VCO), South America's leading producer and exporter of premium branded wines, is to become the official wine partner of Manchester United Football Club. The agreement aims to raise awareness of Concha y Toro and its brands worldwide, with particular focus on the key markets of Asia, Latin America, Eastern and Northern Europe. The partnership presents Concha y Toro with an unprecedented opportunity to align itself globally with a football club which inspires admiration all over the world. It also offers a number of possibilities for the winery to increase its awareness by being associated with the football team and a potent common use of image and brand.

Amongst the many benefits for Concha y Toro will be digital board advertising at Old Trafford stadium during home games that are televised around the world, advertising space in the Club's own communications media and co-branded marketing communications. The alliance also allows Concha y Toro to have presence with its wines in the stadium's lounges, boxes, bars as well as the possibility to invite its VIP customers to team games.

The official announcement of the partnership will take place in August 2010 at a press conference at Old Trafford at which the top executives from Concha y Toro will be joined by the Manager of Manchester United and members of the team.

Giancarlo Bianchetti, Marketing Director of Global Brands, says,

"Our new partnership with Manchester United is absolutely aligned with Concha y Toro's long-term strategy to increase awareness and penetration of our brands worldwide. We wanted to find a partner who shared our commitment to excellence and Manchester United Football Club has developed an immensely powerful global brand. We intend to activate the partnership in a variety of ways around the world, using strategies and tactics which best suit each market."

Eduardo Guilisasti, CEO of Vina Concha y Toro, says,

"We are very proud to be the wine partner of Manchester United, a football club which shares many of our values. We are looking forward to making the most of our new alliance all around the world."

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manager of Manchester United, also comments,

"I'm delighted to be working with Concha y Toro. Like United, it's a company with a lot of history that, while never afraid to change, has always kept hold of its roots. This is a partnership that unites the two great passions in Latin America: football and wine. I'm looking forward to it."

Richard Arnold, Commercial Director at Manchester United, says,

"We are proud to welcome Concha y Toro to our family of sponsors. The quality of their products and the synergy of the brands, particularly Casillero del Diablo – mean that they are a natural partner for us to seek. We are particularly excited to work with them to bring the partnership to life for our millions of fans around the world."

About Vina Concha y Toro

Founded in 1883, Vina Concha y Toro is Latin America's leading producer of premium branded wine, currently exporting to 135 countries worldwide. Uniquely, it owns around 9,300 hectares of prime vineyards located all over Chile and Argentina. This vineyard ownership allows the company to secure the highest quality grapes for its wine production. Concha y Toro's portfolio includes a wide range of successful brands at every price point, from the top of the range Don Melchor and Almaviva to the flagship brand Casillero del Diablo and innovative stand-alone brands such as Palo Alto and Maycas del Limari.

About Manchester United

Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world, with research conducted by TNS Sport indicating that it has 333 million followers worldwide. The Club has won 11 of the 18 Premier League titles since its inception in 1992/93, has won the FA Cup more times than any other English club and are current League Cup winners. In 1956, the Club became the first English team to compete in the European Cup and the first to win it in 1968.

SOURCE Concha y Toro