MillerCoors taps new CMO in Kraft Heinz marketer Michelle St. Jacques

MillerCoors chief executive Gavin Hattersley described her as a “rising star over the past several years, and her record of success with generations-old brands will serve us well.”

"Her track record and progressive approach to building brand equity speak volumes, particularly in the consumer packaged goods space," Hattersley said in an email to employees. "She understands what makes brands unique, relevant and is ready to take our brands to the next level. But, her enthusiasm for the beer category and, specifically, for our MillerCoors portfolio of brands is what gets me even more excited to work with Michelle."

In a statement to AdAge, Kraft Heinz said: "Michelle was a passionate advocate for the Kraft Heinz brands and we wish her great success."

Prior to Kraft Heinz she held a number of roles at Unilever, including running the global Dove body care business.

Her appointment comes as MillerCoors looks to revive lagging sales across a number of its core brands.

On an earnings call last November, bosses blasted the poor performance of its marketing, specifically on Coors Light, saying it has focused too much on the "Rocky Mountain lifestyle” and not enough on selling the beer.

Hattersley said: “We're moving quickly to get Coors Light back onto a solid footing. The brand is at its best when it's laser-focused on its messaging and makes it absolutely clear what makes Coors Light different than the competition.”

It recently made the abrupt move of Coors’ global creative account from VCCP, which had managed it for eight years, into Havas. The was responsible for the series of Jean Claude Van Damme adverts (pictured above) – which show the actor in various snow-capped mountain settings.

The company’s investment into marketing and other “brand building activity” last year totalled “well over” $400m.