Miller Time to Review its Marketing

Charlie points out a report from today's New York Sun, "Miller Beer Eyes Its Marketing Practices Over Racy Ad."

One of America's largest beer brewers, Miller Brewing Co., is reviewing its marketing practices after Christian groups complained about the firm's sponsorship of a raunchy San Francisco festival, the Folsom Street Fair.

"We regret that our failure to adhere with our own policy led to an inappropriate use of our trademark and apologize to anyone who was offended as a result, particularly members of the Christian community who have contacted us to express their concern," a company spokesman, Julian Green, said in a written statement yesterday. "We are conducting an immediate audit of our procedures for approving local marketing and sales sponsorships to ensure that this does not happen again."

I contacted Miller.

I accept the apology, though I doubt its sincerity.

I don't think Miller cares about offending Christians.

Miller cares about sales. Miller cares about money.

If Miller really took the matter seriously, sponsorship of the Folsom Street Fair would have been pulled, not just the logo from the fair's despicable promotional poster depicting The Last Supper as an S&M affair.

...While apologizing for any offense, Miller seemed to argue yesterday that it should be free to market to audiences whose practices are found offensive by many Americans. "It is important to understand that the Folsom Street Fair does not target the general public in its communications," Miller's Mr. Green said. "The fair itself and the organization's Web site are only intended for the adult alternative lifestyle community."

I'm not suggesting that Miller shouldn't be free to market to any audience.

Let Miller be the official beer of BIGOTED adult alternative lifestyle communities.

Clearly, Miller doesn't want to alienate those markets while apologizing to Christians.

Miller wants to leave the door open to sponsoring other events held by BIGOTS.

I question Green's assertion that "It is important to understand that the Folsom Street Fair does not target the general public in its communications."

Why is that important? Who cares?

I suppose peddlers of child porn don't target the general public in their communications.

Green is saying that the general public wasn't supposed to see that offensive poster, as if that makes it OK.

It doesn't.

Miller's sponsorship of religious bigotry is unacceptable whether or not the general public is targeted in promotions.

Would it be OK for Miller to sponsor a KKK event, arguing that the KKK doesn't target the general public in its communications?

How utterly lame is that?
Here is a press release from the Catholic League:

“The response from Miller has been encouraging, though incomplete. The Milwaukee brewer issued a news release on September 26 saying it took exception to the use of its logo on an offensive poster mocking the Last Supper. Today, it extended its original statement by apologizing for the misuse of its logo, ‘particularly [to] members of the Christian community who have contacted us to express their concern.’ It also said, ‘We are conducting an immediate audit of our procedures for approving local marketing and sales sponsorships to ensure that this does not happen again.’

“We called Miller today asking for clarification of this statement, and we are pleased to note that a full-scale review of all its promotional policies is underway. It is not certain at this time whether Miller plans to sponsor events like the Folsom Street Fair in the future. Accordingly, while we are not calling off the boycott, we are tabling a serious course of action that we were going to announce today. We expect that Miller will resolve this issue before too long.”

It's good that Miller claims to be reviewing its policies. That sounds good.

I'm sure much more caution will be taken when it comes to having its logo on BIGOTED advertising.

However, I highly doubt that Miller will stop sponsoring events by BIGOTED groups.

I'm done with Miller.