Another reason to hate Budweiser

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GoNova

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This is disgraceful....



How InBev Is Abusing Agencies With Its Payment Terms
VIEWPOINT: Not Paying Bills, Looking to Others to Finance Operations Is Simply Wrong

Posted by Steve McKee on 05.05.09 @ 05:43 PM


When Belgian brewer InBev bought venerable beer-maker Anheuser-Busch last fall, we knew things were going to change. Then shortly after the acquisition, Bob Lachky, A-B's legendary chief creative officer, left the company, and we knew things were going to change a lot. What none of us could know, however, was just how far InBev was willing to go to damage the reputation of an iconic corporation.

InBev has replaced executive offices with bullpens. So what? It has cut jobs and dropped perks like first-class flights and baseball tickets. Yawn. It has pulled back on sports marketing, cut back on company cars, and even ended an agency relationship or two. Hey, times are tough.

But the company, which controls nearly half of the domestic beer market, has gone one step too far. InBev has unilaterally and summarily announced that it is going to take up to 120 days to pay its bills. That, my agency friends, sets a horrible precedent. And not only is it irresponsible, it's simply wrong.

Why the decision? InBev CEO Carlos Brito was quoted in The Wall Street Journal last month as saying, "We always say, the leaner the business, the more money we'll have at the end of the year to share." Well, Mr. Brito, that's true of any company, but we all still need to pay our bills. If every company decided to follow the same course of action, we'd drive our ailing economy to its grave.

'Machete-wielding investment bankers'
Morningstar analyst Ann Gilpin describes the InBev team as "ruthless" and "machete-wielding investment bankers." Unfortunately, most of InBev's vendors are unable to speak their minds as freely as Ms. Gilpin (which I think proves the point). One, a St. Louis corporation that makes brewing technology, decided to launch its own protest by purchasing beer for its corporate headquarters and stadium suites elsewhere. Dave Peacock, head of InBev's U.S. division, said that the company's decision is "surprising and one that we believe won't be well appreciated." Hmmm.

The government of Belgium is looking into a slightly more "formal" protest of its own, contending that InBev is abusing its power by forcing its much-smaller suppliers to bend to its will. Many ad agencies would certainly fit that bill, as would companies such as Supplied Industrial Solutions in Granite City, Illinois, which generates a whopping $700,000 in annual revenue and employs four people. Better make that three now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve McKee is president of McKee Wallwork Cleveland and author of "When Growth Stalls: How it Happens, Why You're Stuck and What to Do About It."

Times are tough, but InBev has crossed the line with this decision. By forcing other companies to finance its operations, InBev is tying up capital that doesn't belong to it. That hinders those companies' ability to invest in innovation -- not to mention meet their monthly payrolls. InBev is stealing their futures, plain and simple. And in plain sight.

Time for self-respect
I wonder if InBev will be withholding the paychecks of its in-house media-buying staff for months at a time. Of course not, because they know they'd face a walkout, followed by a lawsuit. I also wonder what would happen if all of InBev's retail customers started telling bartenders and checkout clerks that they'll enjoy their beer now and pay for it three or four months down the road. No, I don't.

It's time the advertising industry showed some self-respect. Instead of lying down and getting bullied -- there's no better term for it -- we should say enough is enough. Especially in light of the kinds of companies that reportedly won't be subjected to the InBev squeeze play: independent beer distributors. They, according to The Wall Street Journal, are "key partners in the company's efforts to sell more beer."

Well, InBev agencies, at least you know where you stand.
 
LOL, talk about shooting yourself in the foot. You know how suppliers will react to this? They'll just raise their prices. Now Budweiser is too big just to drop, no matter how mad they would be about this. However, if they have to carry a balance for them the price of those supplies are going to go up.
 
That is ridiculous, I've never heard of any company changing their Accounts Payable terms to suppliers to something that crazy. I would love to see all the suppliers band together and jack up their prices to Budweiser, but it's probably not going to happen.



Another reason to hate Budweiser:

I was at a Bar last night and a distributor was trying to get everyone to buy Budlight Lime, they even had a Budweiser girl giving away free drinks. It was quite hilarious as everyone was either drinking Oregon Micro's or Mexican beer.

I also overheard him talking about how he has some huge incentives from Budweiser to push as much of there stuff as possible. I wanted to throw my Beer in his face, but I didn't want to waste any Mirror Pond. And people wonder why small breweries have a hard time cracking the market.
 
SpanishCastle said:
I can't give them any less business...

Yes, I wish I could buy less BMC products but I can't either.

That is ridiculous, I've never heard of any company changing their Accounts Payable terms to suppliers to something that crazy. I would love to see all the suppliers band together and jack up their prices to Budweiser, but it's probably not going to happen.



Another reason to hate Budweiser:

I was at a Bar last night and a distributor was trying to get everyone to buy Budlight Lime, they even had a Budweiser girl giving away free drinks. It was quite hilarious as everyone was either drinking Oregon Micro's or Mexican beer.

I also overheard him talking about how he has some huge incentives from Budweiser to push as much of there stuff as possible. I wanted to throw my Beer in his face, but I didn't want to waste any Mirror Pond. And people wonder why small breweries have a hard time cracking the market.

Yeah, that would have pissed me off too. I use to go to this beer/alcohol store that had a good selection but has since closed :( At any rate they always had coors light girls in there on Friday night pushing their product. I hate these da$n marketing campaigns and the deceitful promises that they tell to their flock.
 
60 days is not outside the business norm. Double that is. And it IS wrong. Essentially what they are doing is taking an interest free loan.
 
InBev is a huge corporation and is flexing its muscles. Not very nice, but what can you do? Most of us already don't buy their products. And that's really all most of us can do.
 
Don't forget that ABInbev sells a lot of beer that is not just domestic light lager, such as:
Bass, Boddingtons, Bohemia, Czechvar, Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Kirin Ichiban, Spaten, Stella Artois, Tiger, Whitbread.

If you want to protest ABInbev, be sure to leave these off your list too.
 
Don't forget that ABInbev sells a lot of beer that is not domestic just light lager, such as:
Bass, Boddingtons, Bohemia, Czechvar, Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Kirin Ichiban, Spaten, Stella Artois, Tiger, Whitbread.

If you want to protest ABInbev, be sure to leave these off your list too.

Done and done.
 
InBev is a huge corporation and is flexing its muscles. Not very nice, but what can you do? Most of us already don't buy their products. And that's really all most of us can do.

I propose we steal beer from our BMC bretheren (we all have some) and return them to WalMart under their 60 day policy. If done right, global simultanuity (?), we can crush two enterprises at once.
 
Don't forget that ABInbev sells a lot of beer that is not just domestic light lager, such as:
Bass, Boddingtons, Bohemia, Czechvar, Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Kirin Ichiban, Spaten, Stella Artois, Tiger, Whitbread.

If you want to protest ABInbev, be sure to leave these off your list too.

Good info. Is this there complete line?
 
Don't forget that ABInbev sells a lot of beer that is not just domestic light lager, such as:
Bass, Boddingtons, Bohemia, Czechvar, Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Kirin Ichiban, Spaten, Stella Artois, Tiger, Whitbread.

If you want to protest ABInbev, be sure to leave these off your list too.

Oh man... Spaten is on that list. A small sacrifice but worth it but I somehow don't think that my measly 500ml bottle every few months is going to hurt their business.
 
Damn, and I loved Michelob's Porter.

Oh well, there are other better porters!
 
Funny, I really expected to see at least a few beers on that list that I drink, but not a single one.
 
Other than laughing at their commercials during the Super Bo... er, the Big Game, I don't contribute to them at all...

It has been a good year / year and a half since I purchased anything from A-B...

After watching Beer Wars, I plan on buying even less...
 
Ha, after I just got done preaching to my friend's SWMBO about Blue Moon (Coors) and Michelob I am humbled by the news that Franziskaner and Spaten are owned by them...

I always assumed they were owned by a larger, more sinister company, but not InBev :(
 
As was said earlier in this thread, there's nothing you can do as an individual about this- except: Don't. Buy. Their. Beer.
That's what I do.....and I was tempted to try Bud American Ale. And I didn't. And I've been tempted to try all those little Michelin "Oh, lookie, we can make a craft brew, too!" items. And I haven't.
The business of the BMCs is essentially trying to muscle into all the nooks and crannies of an essentially inelastic market. Every time a Coors buys out a Blue Moon, we're headed back to the bad old days of "New improved beer, same as the old beer." We can't prevent an InBev takeover, but every six you buy helps, too.....just DON'T, that's all.
 
60 days is not outside the business norm. Double that is. And it IS wrong. Essentially what they are doing is taking an interest free loan.

It's not great for the suppliers, but they sadly don't have a choice as A-B is probably their biggest client. That's what happens in oligarchies, the big companies can abuse of their power (think oil).

The worst is that Wal-Mart actually does something one level up: They don't buy any of the stock that's in their stores. It belongs to the supplier until Wal-Mart sells it, at which point Wal-Mart makes their profit and pays the supplier.
 
I only buy American craft beer and mostly Michigan craft beer this state needs all the help it can get.

Pat
 
I do enjoy Franzenkaner and Hoegarrden. I can at least get Hoegarrden at my local Kroger. I guess I'll just have to keep stock of BM's Black Pepper Wit this summer to replace it. Franzenkaner...eh, I have to go to a bottle shop to get it anyway, I'll find a replacement.
 
Also don't forget Rolling Rock on the list... Had to get that in there being from Latrobe and all.
 
Rolling Rock disappeared from most people's lists many moons ago :(. I think they changed the recipe, tried it once after AB bought them and it wasn't right.
 
I haven't had a Rock since they closed the Latrobe brewery. The only other thing on their list that I've had is Hoegarden, and due to my intense dislike, I wouldn't get it again regardless.

Ironic that WallyMart was introduced to the conversation, they own this phenom... the bigger you are the more influence you have.
 
I plan on buying BMC products at wal-mart. Sure I don't agree with everything both companies do, but they're not physically forcing anyone to do anything. I guess everyone could make the government force them to act a certain way.... that works wonders.

<--broke capitalist :)
 
I plan on buying BMC products at wal-mart. Sure I don't agree with everything both companies do, but they're not physically forcing anyone to do anything. I guess everyone could make the government force them to act a certain way.... that works wonders.

<--broke capitalist :)

Brew your own... :)
 
This thread just pisses me off. How am I ever going to able to brew enough for my household? 16 gallons a week, cutting off bmc, which we all hate now. I'm in a pickle.
 
selfsufficient....

you drink 16 gallons a week? You will just have to upgrade your fermenter if that is the case.

As with most of you, I only buy Local or Craftbeer, support your local/state brewerys as much as you can then get your friends in on it. I have turned many of my friends against BMC and they don't drink it unless they are having a large party and need 30 packs. The only BMC beer I drink is Busch Light.
 
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