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When I look at a Lexus automobile, I don't see a Toyota nameplate anywhere. Is Toyota therefore "obfuscating" the fact that a Lexus is little more than a glori
by StevePerkins 12y ago
When I look at a Lexus automobile, I don't see a Toyota nameplate anywhere. Is Toyota therefore "obfuscating" the fact that a Lexus is little more than a glorified Corolla? Is an Acura basically an obfuscated Honda?
I don't buy it. Consumers sophisticated enough to care about the provenance of their beer are no doubt well aware that Blue Moon isn't a microbrewery. Consumers who aren't that sophisticated probably don't care, and (gasp!) simply enjoy the way it tastes.
The "right to know who I'm supporting" is the key there. I observe that for a lot of people these days, the brands that an individual purchases are a matter of reflecting (or establishing) that individual's own brand identity. "I use Chrome on a MacBook, because that SAYS something about me that using Chrome on a PC wouldn't.", etc. I understand that this is a thing, but like many I am more of a realist by nature and cannot relate at all. The most important factor in my purchasing decisions is cost-benefit ratio, with a generous amount of wiggle-room for subjective style considerations. However, I have zero fucks to give about what a purchase tells other people about my "identity", and am somewhat baffled by people who do. In my mind, if you're pretentious enough that you can't enjoy a beer without confirming its "exclusivity" from major brewers, then it's on you to pull out your phone and spend 20 seconds looking up the brewer on Wikipedia.
- ptx 12y ago> Consumers who aren't that sophisticated probably don't care, and (gasp!) simply enjoy the way it tastes. If all those who cared already knew, then the manufacturers wouldn't have had to obfuscate it (as it wouldn't make a difference). So if we go with that assumption, they should just put their name on the bottles, experience no difference in sales and thus make everyone happy.
- geetee 12y agoAssume the mind of a potential new Blue Moon consumer in 1995. You pick up the bottle and notice it says "From the makers of Coors Light." Do you: A) think to yourself "This probably tastes like water" and put it down, or B) drink it without an ounce of bias?
- ptx 12y agoThat phrasing implies that it's targeted to those who enjoy Coors Light, so I wouldn't buy it. But there are still many ways to market the product more honestly. For example, they could be entirely open about this product being something new and different but from the same manufacturer. An example of this is Nya Carnegiebryggeriet, "a collaborative joint venture between Carlsberg Sweden and Brooklyn Brewery"[1]. They don't try to hide the fact that it's owned by Carlsberg[2] (4th largest brewery group in the world), but they make it very clear that it's a different category from their regular lineup. If that seems to risky, they could sell it under a different brand without deliberately attempting to deceive customers into thinking it's from a small-scale craft brewer. Just present the product honestly under a new name without the misleading bullshit. [1] http://www.nyacarnegiebryggeriet.se/en/brewery/ http://www.nyacarnegiebryggeriet.se/en/brewery/ [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsberg_Group#Carlsberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsberg_Group#Carlsberg
- sliverstorm 12y agoToyota didn't concoct a shell company complete with a fully fabricated image in an effort to hide its relation. You buy Lexuses from Toyota. As for your "brand identity" rant, there are more reasons than pretentiousness to support small-time outfits- I buy from cottage industries when I can to support creative alternatives- and I personally think Blue Moon tastes fine. Although it's mildly annoying when "domestic night" at the bar discounts Budweiser but won't mark down my glass of Blue Moon "because it's a micro". They were made in the same damn room.