Be Legit

Happy Hump Day Everyone -

It's the middle of the week and we can finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Within the past few months and even further back, I've noticed that many companies, in particular retailers, have really hurt themselves much more than the economy would dictate.

First off - Retailers continue to train the consumer to wait for the sale. All you have to do is look back a few years at the fall of Eatons in Canada. They at one time rivalled the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) as the top retailer in Canada. Not to pump the tires of HBC as I think they are pretty garbage too but Eatons tried to overtake and gain customer loyalty from HBC by promoting continuous sales and the wrong way of doing things. Look who ended up surviving and is now thriving. Give it a few years and Wal-Mart will rule the world.

Second - And this is the main point of today's post. BE LEGIT...
I'm going to use Granville Island Brewery (GIB) as an example here. Being a young guy and a hockey player, naturally, I love my beer. What good Canadian doesn't enjoy a few wobbly pops with the crew?
As you may or may not have heard, Granville Island Brewery was recently sold to Ontario-based Creemore Springs Brewing. To me, this was the companies worst move, and to be blunt, really pissed me off. GIB used to be an absolute favourite and my go-to-beer. You may now be wondering what was so horrendous about their decision to sell. It seems like a great deal for GIB, they're making money, and in the process gaining more customers and market share through expansion in Canada as well as the United States. So here's what is so upsetting to me: GIB and I had been good friends for a long time; probably too long if you know how old I am. They established a real, home-brew type feel that they never lost even through expansion and a massive gain in popularity. The names of their beer resemble Vancouver landmarks and tell a story on every bottle. Their twitter handle @itsgoodtobehere further promotes their local feel and branding to their brewery. It's such BS. They're complete sell-outs. They sold to an Ontario Based company which is owned by another sell-out, Molson-Coors. Notice Molson pulled the "I Am Canadian" ads. Fair play, they're being mildly legit. Kudos to them.

The reality is that GIB have lost face or Guanxi as the Chinese would say. They have lost complete trust with their customers and I hope it hits them hard.

My apologies for singling out GIB as they do produce good beer. It's a shame I will not be drinking it and am canvasing a boycott.

In today's economy, companies, businesses, and brands are all fighting for the few dollars people or companies have to spend. This further promotes the need for everyone to be legit, and do things right. I'm seeing this all over the place; Companies thinking short term and hitting the panic buttom.
Relax, it's not as bad as you think and in the long run, you'll lose if you think that way. ie, Eatons.

Thanks for tuning in, please leave a comment.