Diageo Applauds Maine Governor and Legislature for Continuing Trend of Pro-Consumer Legislation

Legislature Unanimously Passes and Governor Signs Mail-in Rebate Coupon Bill Expanding Options for Consumers to Receive Beer, Wine and Spirits Rebates

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Diageo

Apr 04, 2014, 08:45 ET

NORWALK, Conn., April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, applauds the Maine House, Senate and Governor for passing legislation that will enable beer, wine and spirits companies to use a variety of modern methods to engage with and offer promotional pricing to consumers of legal drinking age. Senate Bill LD704, sponsored by Senator John Tuttle (D-3), passed unanimously in the House and the Senate on Monday and was signed by Governor Paul LePage yesterday. It will take effect January 1, 2015.

The legislation gives spirits suppliers, brewers and vintners greater marketing flexibility as it eliminates the requirement that mail-in rebates must be placed only on the package or bottle. With this legislation, marketers can now include Maine in free standing inserts (FSI) coupon programs in newspapers. They can also create online social media mail-in rebate couponing programs or engage in targeted email or mail programs to consumer brand data bases.

This bill represents a continuation of pro-consumer changes that the legislature and the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operations (BABLO) have passed and supported over the last couple of years. These include allowing tastings in bars, restaurants and liquor stores, permitting instant redeemable coupons and marketing of spirits outside of the "spirits section" in grocery stores.

"We thank Senator Tuttle for his leadership on this issue and Governor LePage, the Maine legislature, BABLO and the Maine Grocers for their support," said Dwayne Kratt, Senior Director, Government Relations, Northeast, Diageo North America. "We applaud their commitment to modernize Maine's alcohol beverage laws for the benefit of Maine consumers."

About Diageo

Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan's, Windsor and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people and its brands, visit www.diageo.com. For Diageo's global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit www.DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Diageo