Forum Archive Index - March 2001

["Ben Dutton" <bendutton@sharechat.co.nz>]

Hi Jeff, great post, but you may have seen in the news that DB have done an
about turn with their decision.  Check it out here:

'Decent Blokes' at DB Resurrect Monteiths
DB has changed its mind about closing the Monteith's brewery on the West
Coast following a public outcry which could have severely dented the brand.

http://www.sharechat.co.nz/articles/20010327-DBGmonteithslives.shtml

Thus it looks like we can all start drinking Monteith's again :-)

Best Regards

Ben Dutton
(Disc. do not hold DBG)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Smith" <jc.smith@waikato.ac.nz>
To: <sharechat@sharechat.co.nz>
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 11:51 AM
Subject: [sharechat] DB Group


> Sharechatters.
>
> Boy there's been a lot of publicity about the Monteith's Brewery closure.
I
> think DBG have made a big error with this.
>
> NZ Breweries beat DB in the beer "regionalisation" that was so profitable
to
> NZB more than a decade ago. I think it's a myth that people will drink
beer
> purely for the taste ... as the success of regional branding has shown.
>
> I believe that despite being a fine beer, Monteith's success is not due to
> the quality of the product: rather the identity it has with the West Coast
> and so forth.
>
> DBG has dropped about 20 cents since their announcement and while that's
not
> big enough to qualify as any sort of correction, the market certainly
hasn't
> reacted favourably to the announcement. Time will tell, but I think DBG
have
> made a mistake and the negative reaction by drinkers won't be confined to
> the West Coast. I live in the Waikato and know Monteiths drinkers here are
> changing brands.
>
> I attach an email that's done a big circulation already.
>
> >To all,
> >No doubt many of you have by now heard - and been thoroughly appalled -
of
> >Dominion Breweries' grandiose plan to shut down Monteiths Brewing Company
> in
> >Greymouth (effective yesterday - the 22nd March) in favour of moving all
> >Monteiths brewing operations to that fantastic little backwater of
> >integrity, Auckland.
> >What was once one fabulous character-ridden West Coast icon has now gone
> the
> >way of the faceless corporate moguls after a buck with little thought of
> the
> >people involved (brewers AND drinkers both), or the traditions that have
> >built New Zealand.
> >It seems nowadays that Aucklanders and their companies regard the rest of
> >New Zealand as merely a feeder towards their greater 'glory' (they alway
> >have been fantastic sufferers of delusions of grandeur). After getting
the
> >West Coast to do all the hard work in developing a quality beer they are
> >quite prepared now to tear that success out of New Zealands heartland and
> >spirit it away to benefit an area that nowadays has very little
resemblance
> >to the real New Zealand at all.
> >Monteiths Beers have become the victim of their own popularity with DB
> >stating that it is no longer 'viable' to brew the beer on the coast as
too
> >much of the beer is being sold in the North Island.
> >Now i'm no marketing mogul but it seems to me that the very popularity of
> >the drink has been based in the fact that it is a boutique beer brewed on
> >the coast the way it always has been. People like things to have
identities
> >nowadays that there is so little of it remaining in this OTT politically
> >correct country.
> >If DB wants to tear the guts out of this fabuolous traditional beer I
> reckon
> >we all take some sort of a stand and boycott all DB products. It's time
we
> >told these pratts that there are - believe it or not - greater ideals
than
> >money, BOYCOTT ALL DB PRODUCTS (INCLUDING, I'M SAD TO SAY NOW, MONTEITHS)
> IN
> >FAVOUR OF SHOWING THESE JAFFAS AND THEIR HENCHMEN THAT THE WE ARE SICK OF
> >THEIR EVIL MACHINATIONS TOWARDS REAL NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!
> >
> >Please forward this email on to all in your mailing list CC it to DB at
> >their 'contact us' address - brewery@dbgroup.co.nz. We'll see just what
we
> >can do!
> >
> >The Coaster
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Happy trading,
> Jeff
>
>
>
>
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