Quote:
Originally Posted by dtengineering
I don't want to pick on AB specifically, especially since I am more familiar with the advertising of Labatts and Molsons (from what I've seen, it isn't that much different) it is only under some external pressure that beer companies have started "responsible use" campaigns. I can't see any beer company executive reporting to the board, "Good news! We've managed to reduce underage and binge drinking AND our profits!" Generally what frustrates companies the most is losing money*.
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Businesses are often criticized for doing something because of external pressure instead of some sort of lofty internal motivations.
Environmental laws and bottle deposit laws allow companies to legitimately pursue useful goals and maintain that level playing field, as an example.
Don't misunderstand me. Motivations are important. But it is important that companies have a chance to compete on a level playing field. It really isn't economically feasible for a company to do something that puts them at a significant disadvantage relative to their competition.
Market forces dictate corporate AND personal behavior and generally trumps altruistic behavior.