The Economic Fallout of Alienating Customers

[Smurf Hunter]

Pardon my digression, but I recently had a conservation with a trans-man in my office.  "He" was explaining how it can be damaging to raise children with gender roles.  It was a civil discussion, but at the end I saw the paradox.  If gender is a construct, why is it so important for you to identify as a Male and have coworkers treat you the same?

I may not live to find the answer...

I'm totally fine with men doing feminine things and vice versa. "Fine" in that it's not my business. I feel better knowing my wife can change a tire, unload a gun and file our taxes.  Somehow I'm still in charge of dealing with spiders in the house and investigating strange noises st night.

[Redman]

I can't even be bothered to watch the ad that's driving this discussion.  Now this is an ad for something I can get onboard with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzC47F1DTO8&frags=pl%2Cwn

^^^This. I haven't seen nor wanted to see the ad behind the discussion. Now the ad AG posted  . Former user of that product because it worked for me and much less expensive. it is not a P&G product BTW. Using soap and a brush now, even less expensive. Isn't that what folks should be about, product that works well and the least cost.

[FreeLancer]

Isn't that what folks should be about, product that works well and the least cost.

Yep.

Would anyone secure in their masculinity give a rat's ass about advertising? 



#BroFlakes

[Redman]

Yep.

Would anyone secure in their masculinity give a rat's ass about advertising? 



#BroFlakes

Depends on the rat's ass. 

[David in MN]

Bud Light is the latest.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bud-light-super-bowl-commercial-093322528.html

Ummm... lots of brewers use corn sugar because it ferments almost 100% and has low off flavors. We all know Miller and Coors use corn and Budweiser uses rice. But Budweiser is brewed in the heart of corn country. Their consumers must involve in corn production.

I don't understand this marketing wave of crapping on core customers. Bud Light isn't looking to win at the trendy cocktail bar. Why try to win where it doesn't matter and your facts are deceitful?

[AvenueQ]

Why try to win where it doesn't matter and your facts are deceitful?

Because millennials are into "dunking" on stuff they don't like, so therefore it's a valid marketing strategy.

(not really, but that's what out-of-touch marketing people seem to think ).

[Smurf Hunter]

Bud Light is the latest.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/bud-light-super-bowl-commercial-093322528.html

Ummm... lots of brewers use corn sugar because it ferments almost 100% and has low off flavors. We all know Miller and Coors use corn and Budweiser uses rice. But Budweiser is brewed in the heart of corn country. Their consumers must involve in corn production.

I don't understand this marketing wave of crapping on core customers. Bud Light isn't looking to win at the trendy cocktail bar. Why try to win where it doesn't matter and your facts are deceitful?

As a casual home brewer, most any book or instruction on bottling home brewed beer recommends "priming sugar" aka corn sugar.  It's a known reliable way to achieve the desired carbonation in bottles.

Budweiser should be more ashamed about using rice.  WTF?  Of all the goofy fermentables, they use rice?

[iam4liberty]

Holy cow.  Talk about tackling a subject head on:

https://youtu.be/BwSvQwuPcR4

[iam4liberty]

KABOOM!  Video game company Activision Blizzard is laying off ~800 SGA staff.  Blizzard has had a very contentious relationship with their customers flatlining revenue and missing financial growth targets. Stock value dropped 50%.  They essentially stopped innovating their products and instead pushed a political agenda.  Now they are slashing that staff and increasing developers 20% so as to jumpstart product line. 

[David in MN]

KABOOM!  Video game company Activision Blizzard is laying off ~800 SGA staff.  Blizzard has had a very contentious relationship with their customers flatlining revenue and missing financial growth targets. Stock value dropped 50%.  They essentially stopped innovating their products and instead pushed a political agenda.  Now they are slashing that staff and increasing developers 20% so as to jumpstart product line.

In their latest Call of Duty multiplayer they eliminated the swastikas and had black SS soldiers. While many players shrugged it off plenty felt that the experience had been adversely effected. Reading between the lines it seems some of these questions were real debates in the development team. This seems odd. Going all the way back to Wolfenstein FPS games have done everything possible to make levels creepy and use very dark imagery. Sounds like they have really missed the mark.

[iam4liberty]

In their latest Call of Duty multiplayer they eliminated the swastikas and had black SS soldiers. While many players shrugged it off plenty felt that the experience had been adversely effected. Reading between the lines it seems some of these questions were real debates in the development team. This seems odd. Going all the way back to Wolfenstein FPS games have done everything possible to make levels creepy and use very dark imagery. Sounds like they have really missed the mark.

They just announced they will have no major releases for 2019.  They are regrouping.  Imagine adding 10 million+ active customers in a year and having revenue not move.  Cash flow actually fell by $400 million.  They are learning that adding new customers at the expense of alienating existing high revenue, low expense base is not a path to growth.  So they are going to invest this year in refreshing their titles the way gamers want.  I am rooting for them to succeed.  Politics out, fun in.