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05-12-2011, 11:34
Visit the Woolpack Dave's Beer and Stuff site (http://hardknott.blogspot.com/2011/12/just-tonic.html)
We received a letter from The Portman Group the other day regarding a compliant made against Vitesse Noir by a member of the public......
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSb6hl21bsA/Ttyz7yRrqNI/AAAAAAAABBk/7ZEJkkZ_-j8/s400/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+1.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSb6hl21bsA/Ttyz7yRrqNI/AAAAAAAABBk/7ZEJkkZ_-j8/s1600/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+1.jpg)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bl4FQj5sopE/Ttyz_rPJcoI/AAAAAAAABBs/x9U13R6GtFg/s320/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+2.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bl4FQj5sopE/Ttyz_rPJcoI/AAAAAAAABBs/x9U13R6GtFg/s1600/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+2.jpg)
I've just written the response.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ICAmL7ay48/Tty1nJ3a6sI/AAAAAAAABB0/WlxPIb-NCs8/s320/hardknottlogo.png (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ICAmL7ay48/Tty1nJ3a6sI/AAAAAAAABB0/WlxPIb-NCs8/s1600/hardknottlogo.png)
Portman Group
4th Floor
20 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XW
ByPost, Email
and Open letter published on Dave’s Blog
05 December 2011
COMPLAINT AGAINST VITESSE NOIR
Sirs,
We note your letter dated 2 December 2011 regardinga complaint from a member of the public. We note your nine member companies,who between them represent a major contributor to the alcohol market. Werecognise the need for pacification of the unreasonable pressure put on ourindustry by neo-prohibitionists who fail to recognise that the vast majority ofdrinkers are responsible and moderate. We note that the clever marketingcampaigns conducted by your member companies, with their benefit of majormarketing budgets, often subtly tread a fine line of your code. We note thatmajor lager brands for instance often sponsor sport implying that by drinkingthat product you automatically become a sportier person. Additionally, advertson the T.V. that suggest by drinking a product one’s party will be wild andraunchy must surely sail close to The Portman Group’s code of conduct.
We note that the majority of the volume ofthe products your members companies make are easy drinking, manufactured to abudget and a quality that is unlikely to challenge the taste buds of thedrinker and sold in a manner that is designed to maximise volumes of sales. Werespect this position and understand that this is what the majority of the lawabiding drinking public is happy with.
We note that The Portman Group has nojurisdiction over us and is unlikely to be able to take action over thisparticular product, namely Vitesse Noir, as it is predominantly sold direct byus to a very small specialist market. The product is highly unlikely to be soldthrough supermarkets, which is where the majority of risk to public healthwould be.
We are a very small company. Our productsare designed very much for a small, niche, and discerning customer base. Toenable us to get to our target market we require a strong marketing message andit is disappointing that an organisation which is funded by major alcoholproducers is seeking to interfere with real innovation and enterprisingcommerce. In the current economic environment it is the small producers likeHardknott who are likely to lead an economic recovery. Seeking to inhibit oursuccess is inappropriate and unreasonable.
This particular product is inspired by anAmerican Craft Beer the likes of which is very rare in the UK. It is partof a Craft Beer movement in the UK which is showing drinkers that a few wellchosen drinks at a higher price is more responsible than looking for the lowestcost deal and drinking it in large quantities. It is highly flavoured andpriced as a premium product and as such is recommended by us to be consumed onlyas a digestif. If the label is read in context it is clear that this is thecase, and furthermore the label carries a warning, which the complaint haschosen to ignore.
It appears that it is the word “tonic”which is being picked out as the offending word. It is worth pointing out thatpre-packaged “Gin and Tonic” is now a regular product in many supermarkets andis manufactured by at least one of your members. Additionally, several of yourmembers regularly feature adverts in mass media citing gin and tonic as arefreshing pick-me-up.
We believe the risk to the general publicof the innocent and obviously tongue in cheek wording on the labels of ourbottles is insignificant. Indeed, we expect that our customer base will haveall the intelligence needed to control their own health and wellbeing and areunlikely to believe that our little quip has any basis in truth. We believe ourcustomers are intelligent and discerning and we market as such.
The product is manufactured in very smallbatches and we are unlikely to ever reach the manufacturing capacity that wouldcause this product to represent a public health risk.
We believe that for small artisan producerslike ourselves a different approach to marketing is required. We will thereforewish to be allowed to progress with our business without interference from anorganisation who is funded by major alcohol producers.
I note that this is not the first time ThePortman Group has antagonised producers in the Craft Beer Sector. Hardknottrecognises the importance of a regulatory body within the industry to preventinappropriate Government legislation hindering the lawful and responsibleactions of all of our industry. However, it is clear to me that The PortmanGroup is unable to consider the needs of the small artisan producer. Should arepresentative of small producers be required then we would be happy to helpand thereby avoid further uncomfortable confrontations.
Dave Bailey
Brewer, Doer, Force Majeure.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2446074078505386356-1986827951168405310?l=hardknott.blogspot.com
More... (http://hardknott.blogspot.com/2011/12/just-tonic.html)
We received a letter from The Portman Group the other day regarding a compliant made against Vitesse Noir by a member of the public......
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSb6hl21bsA/Ttyz7yRrqNI/AAAAAAAABBk/7ZEJkkZ_-j8/s400/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+1.jpg (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSb6hl21bsA/Ttyz7yRrqNI/AAAAAAAABBk/7ZEJkkZ_-j8/s1600/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+1.jpg)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bl4FQj5sopE/Ttyz_rPJcoI/AAAAAAAABBs/x9U13R6GtFg/s320/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+2.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bl4FQj5sopE/Ttyz_rPJcoI/AAAAAAAABBs/x9U13R6GtFg/s1600/Email+ltr+to+producer+2+Dec+2.jpg)
I've just written the response.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ICAmL7ay48/Tty1nJ3a6sI/AAAAAAAABB0/WlxPIb-NCs8/s320/hardknottlogo.png (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ICAmL7ay48/Tty1nJ3a6sI/AAAAAAAABB0/WlxPIb-NCs8/s1600/hardknottlogo.png)
Portman Group
4th Floor
20 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XW
ByPost, Email
and Open letter published on Dave’s Blog
05 December 2011
COMPLAINT AGAINST VITESSE NOIR
Sirs,
We note your letter dated 2 December 2011 regardinga complaint from a member of the public. We note your nine member companies,who between them represent a major contributor to the alcohol market. Werecognise the need for pacification of the unreasonable pressure put on ourindustry by neo-prohibitionists who fail to recognise that the vast majority ofdrinkers are responsible and moderate. We note that the clever marketingcampaigns conducted by your member companies, with their benefit of majormarketing budgets, often subtly tread a fine line of your code. We note thatmajor lager brands for instance often sponsor sport implying that by drinkingthat product you automatically become a sportier person. Additionally, advertson the T.V. that suggest by drinking a product one’s party will be wild andraunchy must surely sail close to The Portman Group’s code of conduct.
We note that the majority of the volume ofthe products your members companies make are easy drinking, manufactured to abudget and a quality that is unlikely to challenge the taste buds of thedrinker and sold in a manner that is designed to maximise volumes of sales. Werespect this position and understand that this is what the majority of the lawabiding drinking public is happy with.
We note that The Portman Group has nojurisdiction over us and is unlikely to be able to take action over thisparticular product, namely Vitesse Noir, as it is predominantly sold direct byus to a very small specialist market. The product is highly unlikely to be soldthrough supermarkets, which is where the majority of risk to public healthwould be.
We are a very small company. Our productsare designed very much for a small, niche, and discerning customer base. Toenable us to get to our target market we require a strong marketing message andit is disappointing that an organisation which is funded by major alcoholproducers is seeking to interfere with real innovation and enterprisingcommerce. In the current economic environment it is the small producers likeHardknott who are likely to lead an economic recovery. Seeking to inhibit oursuccess is inappropriate and unreasonable.
This particular product is inspired by anAmerican Craft Beer the likes of which is very rare in the UK. It is partof a Craft Beer movement in the UK which is showing drinkers that a few wellchosen drinks at a higher price is more responsible than looking for the lowestcost deal and drinking it in large quantities. It is highly flavoured andpriced as a premium product and as such is recommended by us to be consumed onlyas a digestif. If the label is read in context it is clear that this is thecase, and furthermore the label carries a warning, which the complaint haschosen to ignore.
It appears that it is the word “tonic”which is being picked out as the offending word. It is worth pointing out thatpre-packaged “Gin and Tonic” is now a regular product in many supermarkets andis manufactured by at least one of your members. Additionally, several of yourmembers regularly feature adverts in mass media citing gin and tonic as arefreshing pick-me-up.
We believe the risk to the general publicof the innocent and obviously tongue in cheek wording on the labels of ourbottles is insignificant. Indeed, we expect that our customer base will haveall the intelligence needed to control their own health and wellbeing and areunlikely to believe that our little quip has any basis in truth. We believe ourcustomers are intelligent and discerning and we market as such.
The product is manufactured in very smallbatches and we are unlikely to ever reach the manufacturing capacity that wouldcause this product to represent a public health risk.
We believe that for small artisan producerslike ourselves a different approach to marketing is required. We will thereforewish to be allowed to progress with our business without interference from anorganisation who is funded by major alcohol producers.
I note that this is not the first time ThePortman Group has antagonised producers in the Craft Beer Sector. Hardknottrecognises the importance of a regulatory body within the industry to preventinappropriate Government legislation hindering the lawful and responsibleactions of all of our industry. However, it is clear to me that The PortmanGroup is unable to consider the needs of the small artisan producer. Should arepresentative of small producers be required then we would be happy to helpand thereby avoid further uncomfortable confrontations.
Dave Bailey
Brewer, Doer, Force Majeure.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2446074078505386356-1986827951168405310?l=hardknott.blogspot.com
More... (http://hardknott.blogspot.com/2011/12/just-tonic.html)