American Adults Playing it Safe on the Water This Summer

ST. LOUIS (May 18, 2007) - American adults may be kicking back and relaxing on the water this summer, but they're not taking a vacation from safety. That's according to a new survey conducted by InsightExpress on behalf of Anheuser-Busch, and good news as National Safe Boating Week, May 19-25, kicks off the summer season.

According to the survey, one in five Americans own a boat, and 85 percent believe promoting the use of designated skippers is an excellent or good way to encourage boating safety. Among respondents who have either been a designated skipper or been driven by one, 93 percent believe that promoting the use of designated skippers is an excellent or good idea. In addition, 91 percent of boat owners said they equip their boats with proper safety gear, including a first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and flotation devices.

"Just as it's important for adults to use designated drivers to help keep our roads safe, it's equally important to be responsible on the water and use designated skippers," says John Kaestner, vice president of Consumer Affairs for Anheuser-Busch Cos. "We encourage everyone to play it safe on the water, whether enjoying a family vacation on one of our nation's beautiful lakes or sailing off to an exotic location."

Through the company's comprehensive safe-boating campaign "Play It Safe on the Water," Anheuser-Busch and its 600 wholesalers nationwide promote safe boating and the use of designated skippers by providing water safety tip cards, a full line of promotional reminders such as beach towels and floating key chains, as well as through print ads and billboards. In 2006, Anheuser-Busch wholesalers conducted more than 1,000 events to help promote safe boating.

On the lighter side, the survey also found:

•Bermuda is the top choice for boating destinations (24 percent) with exotic Fiji a close second (20 percent of the votes).

•Forty-one percent of respondents chose George Clooney to be their celebrity designated skipper over singer Beyonce (14 percent) and the newest James Bond, Daniel Craig (4 percent).

•Respondents overwhelmingly cited a yacht as the most preferred type of boat (47 percent) versus a bass boat (12 percent), sailboat (9 percent) or ski boat (9 percent).

InsightExpress is an acknowledged pioneer of rapid turnaround, high-quality, online marketing research services. With its patented technology, market research expertise, and access to more than 100 million online individuals, InsightExpress enables its clients to easily harness market research to make the right business decision in real-time. The Company is headquartered in Stamford, CT, and maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. InsightExpress is affiliated with General Atlantic LLC. Visit us on the Web at www.insightexpress.com or call 203-406-3233.

For nearly a quarter century, Anheuser-Busch and its nationwide network of 600 independent wholesalers have led the alcohol beverage industry in promoting responsibility and respect for the law, investing more than a half-billion dollars in alcohol awareness and education programs and partnerships. In 2007, for the fourth year in a row, the company ranked first in the beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine's "America's Most Admired Companies" and "Global Most Admired Companies." More information about Anheuser-Busch's responsibility programs is available at www.beeresponsible.com. Full survey results are available at www.alcoholstats.com.