Beer under spotlight on Gruen Planet tonight ABC TV

[Feldon]

Just caught the end of a trailer for tonight's Gruen Planet programme - seems they are examining beer advertising.

On at 8:30pm AEST in Melb (check local guides for elsewhere)

 

[Not For Horses]

I watched it. Just confirming what we already know: a constant battle to convince you that their shitful misery swill is worth you ponying up the cash.
If you've got shit product you need great advertising.

 

[bum]

Presumably the same as every other episode then, yeah?

 

[Not For Horses]

Yeah but CUB and LN have the added advantage that their customers have no tastebuds but for some reason loyalty. Go figure.

 

[Fat Bastard]

Gruen is the stuff my fantasies are made of. A bunch of advertising "creatives" and Wil Anderson in the same place at the same time. I only need an access all areas ABC swipe card and an assault rifle to make it complete.

 

[OneEye]

Can watch it online here

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gruen-planet/LE1240H007S00

edit for fumbling fingers

 

[madpierre06]

Hadn't seen that episode, it's a goodie.

My soapbox issue is that commercial beers are like commercial radio stations....they are designed to offend as few people as possible rather than attract people through stronger tastes/playlists. For every person that a strong taste attracts there os bound to be a proportionate percentage of those who dislike it just as strongly. This means a market who you can ever win over. So by presenting a product which is bland and wrapping it up with attractive/funny/trendy presenters/promos/competitions etc we seek to lift our market share without actually using the taste/music genre to sell the product.

People (generally) are sheep who are usually happy to be led without needing to stop and actually think or reflect.

 

[Mardoo]

In the slightly paraphrased words of HL Mencken: "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the general public."
Unfortunately it's a pretty willful ignorance.

 

[geneabovill]

Well, I dunno. I remember when I was a young drinker, I tried my first non CUB/NL/Big Brewery beer. It was a Beck's and I fell in love.

Did some research about where to find decent beer (I was living in a small town outside of Newcastle then and they only sold the megaswills).

Went to a bottlo that sold a good variety of beers and was somewhat intimidated by the selection. The clerk was highly snobbish and asked what I liked, and laughed when I told him I had no idea. Thankfully, a bloke (probably a homebrewer) wandered in and helped me.

After buying a mixed bag of various beers and trying them, I felt more confident. But if that helpful customer hadn't had a chat to me about beer, I probably would've given up and had the impression that people who like beer are as bad as people who like wine - pretentious wankers.

Anyways, the point is that getting into the beer world is kinda hard at first, and people who haven't experienced decent beers might find it hard to pick a beer they can identify with.

If our world (good beer) was more accessible, then we might find it growing faster than it currently is.

 

[madpierre06]

A couple of valid ponts there. I hve found from experience and observed that most things which people will enthusiastically and long term throw themselves into and which will usually set them apart from the average person will attract around 5% max of the population. The majority of people are happy to just poke along taking the option which requires less thought/effort and which usually gives comparative rewards...and good luck to 'em, if they're happy with that who am I to criticise. For me, I like distinctive tastes whether it be foods, music, coffee, beer. And I'll go out of my way to find and enjoy those and stick with those if it suits me.

I don't necessarily think that the brewing and beer enjoyment community is likely to grow significantly and stay at those increased levels. There are those who will go wholeheartedly into drinking imported/craft beers but many of these are the same ones who jump into whatever the current fad/trend is. It's trendy and chic to be seen at the latest places or drinking the latest trend in fancy beers. In time, they move on. Likewise with home brewing, home coffee making (and I'm not talking pods here) and other like activities,

Asv long as we are not elitist or pretentious about what we do then we are more likely to attract those and less likely to antagonise those who may be the next addition to the ranks.

 

[Nizmoose]

Asv long as we are not elitist or pretentious about what we do then we are more likely to attract those and less likely to antagonise those who may be the next addition to the ranks.

This last thing you said I can relate to, as well as the post above, I'm 21 and before maybe a year ago I was quite content drinking the lighter, blander, shittier beers and wouldn't know the difference. I had one friend who was always into good beer and most of us thought he was a bit weird, then I started listening and my interest in the process of beer making grew, I then went and tried some different beers and at that stage James squire was something I could consider a bit different believe it or not, I also got talking to a friends dad who brewed after I tasted his beer and asked who made it expecting a company name, it was his! He insisted I do a batch with him and I loved it, I then joined this forum and learned as much as I can, two months later and I have a full extract batch bottled and another in the fermenter, if it wasn't for the help of my mate or my other mates dad and you guys on the forum being so encouraging and welcoming I think I'd have thrown in the towel and kept drinking coronas