Great Lakes Brewing News Archive

The Jolly Giant Review

Originally Published: 12/97

By: Ian Bowering

Oh they are a crafty lot, those marketing types at Labatt. If you are not careful they will hoodwink you into thinking that Mick's Red 5.3%abv is a new draught product, when it is only Old Mick's Red with a new coaster!

For you Americans who enjoy imported Carlsberg, be prepared for a change, as Labatt has now signed a deal to brew Carlsberg, and Carlsberg Elephant for export along with Carlsberg Elephant Red.

At last I have found a real job opportunity. Molson "What Beer's All About!" recently advertised for an Eastern Ontario Territory rep. While you are lining up with the 435 employees to be laid from Molson Quebec for this job, you might qualify if "You are highly motivated sales professional with experience in a packaged goods environment. Bottom-line driven, with superior consumer and customer orientation, you will use your exceptional communication skills to maintain current accounts while aggressively expanding...your customer base." You should also have "...three to five years of proven sales experience in a related field...post secondary education...computer literacy" and bilingualism. Knowledge about beer is not a prerequisite. Do you think I should apply?

And while on the topic of Molsons , it appears that if the family cannot acquire 100% ownership of their company shared with Fosters and Miller that they would like to buy another buy "another Molson" in "some stable market." And with some $825 million (Canadian) at hand they might just do it.

Refocusing their efforts on brewing, however, has not been without cost. Just recently, Molson Quebec announced that they are going to reduce 27% of their hourly paid workforce over the next three years. Raynald Doin, president for the Quebec region, said that with the proliferation of new products and new competition that "the rules of the game have completely changed." Falling nationally from 62% of the market, in 1989 after the merger with Carling-O'Keefe to 48%, Molson will be spending $17 million to upgrade its historic Montreal brewery while moving some of its American exports to Toronto. Having virtually destroyed famous Carling -O'Keefe names such as Old Vienna, Black Label, and O'Keefe ale in favour of a line of discount brands, let's hope they learn from their mistakes and return to brewing the beer that made them famous!