This month, White Plains, N.Y.-based Heineken USA introduced its Mexican dark beer, Indio, to the United States. Brewed and sold in Mexico since 1893, Indio is available in six-packs and 12-packs of 12-ounce bottles at on- and off-premise locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas.

"Not only does the launch of Indio in the U.S. strengthen Heineken USA's portfolio and strategic innovation platform, but it supports our ambition of becoming the leading beer company in the U.S.," said Felix Palau, vice president of marketing for Indio, in a statement. "Market segmentation continues to have a major impact on the industry and Indio will use this trend to create a very specific campaign that speaks directly to the niche audience’s interests and passions in life."

Indio is positioned for Hispanic men between the ages of 21 and 26 who are in search of brands that help them express their identities and fuse urban and Latino cultures, the company says. Indio will launch a platform through which this expression can be shared among its consumers.    

As part of the brand's pre-launch strategy, Heineken USA hosted "The Indio Experience," a series of Indio Road Shows for distributors and retailers in key markets to introduce the brand and offer insight about its target audience. This was accomplished through live performances from DJs and bands, “Spanglish” tutorials and brand sampling.

Indio's non-traditional marketing efforts were designed to mirror its target consumer and include online communication, digital advertising, out-of-home postings and murals, and influencer sampling.