I'm not much of a beer drinker these days but when I do it certainly isn't Bud Light and never has been in the past. I'm more of a craft guy these days. But talk about not realizing your market. They didn't' realize their biggest customers were conservative men, some might even say red necks, certainly working men. So now they have pissed off their biggest portion of their customer base. It would seem to me that they have painted themselves into a corner, they can't really back down without pissing off the "woke" people who will then take up the crusade to push Budlight out of business. The last time I remember somebody not reading the room was when Natalie Marnes of the Dixie Chicks a very popular Country Western group, whose fans were conservative, mostly Southern, NASCAR watching, maybe even rednecks, etc. After she opened her big mouth...they pretty much dropped off the radar. Fans, most of whom voted for Bush and liked him and supported the Iraq war just voted with their feet or maybe their ears ..certainly their pocketbook. It was March 10, 2003, when Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks — now the Chicks — told a crowd in London that they were "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas," referring to George W. Bush. She made that remark during the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
After reading her interview when the promotion launched. my first thought was that the young, female executive who created the promotion was a pious, virtue-signaling Ivy Leaguer who looked down upon the values and culture of the inhabitants in fly-over country who drink BL. She lost her job after BL lost at least 25% of its market share. If you are trying to market a product popular with working class Americans and frat bros, it probably would help if the person in charge of marketing actually knew and talked to a few patrons beforehand since it was obvious that the promotion was going to piss off a lot of BL customers. Telling your customers that they are moral Neanderthals is not a sound marketing strategy.
My league Golf partner was a loyal Bud light drinker. Monday was first night of league, cart girl shows up, he's buying, and I ask him what he's getting. "Coors light". I just nodded in approval. Then we asked her if she had BL, she said she didn't stock any because they only sold 2 cans the whole weekend.
Speaking of woke, living in Fla. I've been watching the battle between Disney and DeSantis. National political pundits think it's hurting him politically. Personally, I'm cheering him on. First of all Disney is one of these big ESG companies. The E or course stands for EQUALITY. They're fighting for their special privileges here. Apparently "equality" only goes so far. But the more important issue is corporations interfering with the legislation of individual states and worse lying about it. Major League Baseball really economically damaged Atlanta after Ga. enacted a voter reform bill. Not only did they harm innocent people and businesses but the so called "voter suppressing Jim Crow 2.0 bill" resulted in the largest turnout of voters in the state history. Like so many on the left they think that they can do that with impunity. DeSantis is making Disney pay for their meddling and it sends a clear message that this crap has to stop. Don't back down Ron.
I just don't think its a good look for a Republican, supposed conservative governor, to seek to use the power of the state to bludgeon a private business into submission in a clear act of political retribution. The whole build a prison thing was just imbecilic. I'm a small government, non-intervention, free enterprise/free market guy. Not the role of government to be so radically interventionist and dictate policy to private sector businesses. Personally thought it unwise on Disney's part, but it is their right to say stupid sh!t and its the Board's right to replace the CEO for being stupid, which they did. He's stealing a page right out of the lefty playbook and doubling down, not playing well for him, he's currently in free fall
I've always been in the same camp Terry describes - let the market decide, the less regulation the better. And I think it's always worked pretty well when allowed to. But now... I'm worried. Social media has tilted the table. A LOT... Some companies (and Disney would certainly fall into that realm now) have such immense media power they can sway the pendulum more than can be corrected. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with Desantis' actions, but I can fully understand supporting someone punching back at a monster machine that is taking people down a path that many don't align with. I don't see a way to put the social media genie back in it's bottle, but left unchecked, I don't see any paths to a good outcome for any of us.
I'm with ya virtually all the way, esp the social media elements. I agree with the "punching back", I just don't believe it the role of government to do any punching (barring illegal acts of course). If the limited government, free market, pro-business guys go down that path, that's one less point of differentiation between us and the lefties. Let them be the bashers/anti-business, I wanna be the business/employer friendly guys. If the Governor wants to play with the big boys on an national/international stage, he's gonna need thicker skin or he's gonna get played incessantly
As a potential Republican presidential candidate DeSantis was invariably fated to be deaminized by the media. The trashing is just beginning. The only chance that the Dems have to reelect their Manchurian Candidate again is to do what they did in 2016, help Trump to win the nomination. So far, it's working.
Desantis has gotten off track with this Disney business. No matter what Disney does politically, people will continue to take out loans to spend a week there. Churches do not evoke the emotion and fervor from families that Disney does. They are willing to look past the subliminal mind control and the obvious social re-engineering attempts by this mega-woke corporation aimed at their children in order to drop $5-10K that they can't afford in a week spent primarily standing in one line after another. Desantis is correct in his observations but its a PR nightmare for him and meaningless to people in 49 states.
Not only that, it's really bad for business. So long as he's in office, every rational CEO/Board are now going to think twice about meaningful expansion/investment in a state wherein if they somehow disagree with the imperial dictate from Tallahassee, they'll be bludgeoned with the big stick of the state. They're plenty of other places to move without having to fear running afoul of a thin-skinned, imperious governor and government reprisal. They're among, if not the, largest employer and taxpayer in his state, while Disney generates prob 90% of their revenue somewhere else. My Republican party is limited government, non-intervention, free enterprise and business friendly. He needs to put on his big-boy panties. One can only imagine his imperial policy designs with a national canvas on which to draw. No thanks.....
Mixed feelings. Agree with Buckeye T regarding government over regulation...and it seems petty to be busting Disney's chops at this time over woke positions. But on the other hand, maybe it's time (50 plus years) for Disney's self regulation, freedom from state inspectors, and privileges that nobody else has to run out. No doubt the deal has worked out well for Orlando and Florida, but now Disney has become quite the colossus and is beginning to throw their weight around on the political stage. I dunno. Color me luke warm.
I don't disagree about the self-governance issues you raise at all, in fact by and large I'm not a fan. My beef is with the clear, targeted retaliatory nature of his agenda simply because an enterprise espoused a political view different from his own. Scary stuff to imagine him with the power of the federal bureaucracy at his call. The "prison" comment was just stupid politically and very alarming for a limited government guy like me
You can espouse a different political view but you should not lie about what the people of a state have chosen to adopt as far as legislation is concerned. I pointed out the lies that were adopted by corporations after Georgia passed voting reform. Apparently corporations can wreak damage to businesses with lies without suffering consequences. Disney pulled the same crap in Florida and got slapped back. If it takes "government intervention" to prevent future lies and damage, it's OK with me. And as DeSantis warned them, "Florida is where woke goes to die." And I might point out that in the off season, Disney generates a great deal of their income from local Florida residents who patronize events at places like EPCOT. I know a few here who have indicated that they're not going to bother to renew their yearly passes next year. Their animated movie last year bombed because of their pushing of the woke agenda. Many Florida residents are pissed at Disney.
I hear ya Gip, it was unwise of the guy to open his mouth on the issue and he got fired. The issue is that we're ok and it's great fun when our side slaps, the problem occurs with the other side slaps too and then it's not so much fun. Retaliatory slapping by the state is a losing game for all.....surely there are better things on which to spend our time and resources
Regarding the Prison Comment; petty and not politically very smart...but I think he was just trolling. He's not putting a prison there; he knows it and they know it. "RON DESANTIS: What should we do with this land? And so, you know, it's like, OK, kids - I mean, people have said, you know, maybe have another - maybe create a state park. Maybe try to do more amusement parks. Someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison. Who knows? I mean, I just think that the possibilities are endless." DeSantis isn't my guy...but at least you know where he stands.