Month: December 2019

  • The Oregon Duck.

    The interview process I experienced during the late 1980s for the general manager’s position at Coast Distributors was definitely unique. Although I spent the majority of the interview time with owner of Coast, I also had dinner with the GM’s three director reports:  the Director of Operations, the CFO, the Director of Sales, Jim Cline.  I was […]

  • Don’t let your ego get in the way of your ignorance, part II,

    Almost 50 years ago when the tobacco company Philip Morris was flushed with cash, they purchased the Miller Brewing Company. Miller immediately had access to PM’s marketing expertise along with the resources necessary to attack the beer industry. Miller created Miller Lite just as the baby boomers were turning 21, and the rest is history. […]

  • There is no victory at bargain basement prices.

    In the early 1980s, Stroh Brewing Company purchased the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company.  Stroh quickly reduced market support in an effort to revise Schlitz’s downward trend.  At the time, marketing was limited to media, p-o-s (point-of-sale), and price supports.  Although Schlitz had been declining prior to being bought by Stroh, once Stroh took over, Schlitz’s decline accelerated, and […]