Dahle Communication

Are the Belgians Trolling American Beer Drinkers?

I know it's been sometime since I've posted here (is a 3 year hiatus a bad thing...) but I've been wanting to get back into writing more consistently, so why not talk about beer. And not just any beer, but America!

In case you haven't heard, this summer, Budweiser is changing it's name to America until the end of the election in November. No I'm not kidding. This is a real thing that is happening.

Why would one of the most ubiquitous names in American beers need to change its name? When it comes to marketing, if you have a strong brand identity, you don't usually change your name. However, Budweiser apparently felt differently. Apparently they made the switch "to inspire drinkers to celebrate America and Budweiser's shared values of freedom and authenticity." Seems like an interesting idea.

I have a better theory though. I'm pretty sure that Americans are being mocked a bit and we don't even know it. Perhaps its slipped your mind, but the most American beer out there (which if you asked most people, which beer would you identify America with, Budweiser would be in their top 3 picks with 80% placing it first) is actually owned by a Belgian company named AB InBev, head-quartered in Leuven, Belgium. 

Could this be just a slight mockery of America and the state of our elections this year? We do have a reality TV star who's never been elected to any political office and who's announcement was followed by the New York Post publishing a picture of him as a clown and his campaign is currently viewed by many as a circus. I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.

Regardless if you agree with Trump or not, a good portion of the world is wondering what in the world America is doing right now. Perhaps, just perhaps, the Belgians, who own the most American beer of all time, wanted to tap into some patriotism of the election year to try and cut down on the rise of craft beers that have been eating into their profits for several years now.

If there is one thing I do know though it is this: I'm not motivated to drink more Budweiser then I already do. Which honestly is only when I'm at someones house and they offer it because its the only thing they have. I'm going to make a fairly educated guess that a lot of you won't be putting down your Sam Adams, Boulevard or Shiner's anytime soon due to the change. But, it did get them into the news - and me back to writing - so all in all, it has already had some good impact.

Have we lost our ability to communicate

Over the years we've seen dramatic changes in how we communicate with each other. We've gone from face to face conversations just 20 years ago (even 15 or 10) to texts, tweets and facebook posts. While these tools have given us a great ability to reach more people and do it more effectively it makes me wonder if we've truly lost the ability to talk to one another.

The perfect example of this is the current situation in Washington D.C. Both sides seem to be set in their positions and are refusing to even compromise. I understand the argument on both sides, but from my perspective as an outsider, it just looks like they can't communicate with each other.

During the shutdown in the 1990's, Bill Clinton and then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrinch actually talked almost every day. They enjoyed discussing policy and wanted to try and figure out how to resolve the issue. Sadly, it doesn't look like either side even wants to talk to each other.

Is this a problem with our society and how interpersonal connections seem to be lost because we're so used to looking at a screen and just typing out what we feel? Or is it just a problem with politics?

As a communicator, either way its a problem.

Note: picture courtesy of The Points Guy

McGovern's 1972 Acceptance Speech

If you have read my blog at all, you know that I am a big fan of John F. Kennedy's speech writer Ted Sorensen. I always felt that his writing paired with Kennedy's speaking ability is the greatest we have seen. However, while reading up on some memories of the late Senator George McGovern, I (and apparently most of the known universe) have missed out on a great speech - McGovern's 1972 acceptance speech.

The reason a lot of people missed it is that it was given at 2:00 a.m. after a contentious convention. Unfortunately for McGovern, most people didn't see the speech or hear it. What I find interesting is how much more powerful those words are today, and how they can still be used today.

Take this passage: Let the opposition collect their $10 million in secret money from the privileged few and let us find one million ordinary Americans who will contribute $25 each to this campaign, a Million Member Club with members who will not expect special favors for themselves but a better land for us all.

Isn't that something that can be said today? However, I think his closing paragraph is the most powerful and something that hits home to a lot of us. I even think President Obama could echo these words:

From secrecy and deception in high places; come home, America. From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home, America. From the entrenchment of special privileges in tax favoritism; from the waste of idle lands to the joy of useful labor; from the prejudice based on race and sex; from the loneliness of the aging poor and the despair of  the neglected sick — come home, America. Come home to the affirmation that we have a dream. Come home to the conviction that we can move our country forward. Come home to the belief that we can seek a newer world, and let us be joyful in that homecoming, for this "is your land, this land is my land — from California to New York island, from the redwood forest to the gulf stream waters — this land was made for you and me." So let us close on this note: May God grant each one of us the wisdom to cherish this good land and to meet the great challenge that beckons us home.

I think regardless of party affiliation, this is something we can all believe in.

 

Senator McGovern and Debate

Being from South Dakota, a state of only about 800,000 people, we have had our share of nationally prominent people. One of the greatest of those passed away this weekend, former Senator George McGovern.

Most people know McGovern as the candidate who was defeated easily by Nixon in the 1972 presidential election. However, he was much more than this.

I had the honor of meeting Senator McGovern three times in my life. The first time I met him was at a high school debate tournament in Mitchell, SD that is named in his honor - the Mitchell McGovern. At the tournament, McGovern spoke briefly to the students about the importance of debate and the impact that it had on his life.

Most recently, I got a chance to speak with him briefly at his 90th birthday party in Sioux Falls and he once again talked to me about how valuable his experience in debate was and how it impacted him. I always felt honored to be advocating something that such a great man valued and clearly took to heart.

Senator McGovern was much more than a politician; he was a statesman. He was a soft spoken man who stood up for what he believed was right: protecting the weak from the strong and advocating the end of hunger throughout the world.

McGovern proved with his work and his life that you don't need to be the greatest most powerful public speaker to make a difference. All you need is the willingness to speak and the courage to do so.

If you have a child, or nieces and nephews or grandchildren - try to encourage them to get involved in an activity that will challenge them and maybe push them towards something great. Maybe they too can make a difference and make the world a better place.

Here's to you Senator McGovern - thank you for your service and your contribution to the world.

3 Years and 150 plus posts

3 years ago I decided to start sharing my thoughts and ideas on communication - both in how people need to become better speakers, how people in the public eye use communication and how we all use communication. It's been a lot of fun and hopefully 3 years from now I'll have another 150 plus posts!

I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and for taking the time to read my random thoughts that I have from time to time. There will be more to come for sure.

 

Travis

Ron Paul Twitter Post backfires

Ever had that one idea. It's a great idea. Almost epic! Of course, the next morning you wake up and think - wow, that was a really, really bad idea - next time, probably not going to challenge the bikers at the biker bar to a fight.

This is probably what Ron Paul is thinking this morning after the following was posted on his twitter account:

@JonHuntsman we found your one Iowa voter, he's in Linn precinct 5 you might want to call him and say thanks

Now, I think that is funny - for someone probably not running for President. 

This tweet is an example of what probably seems like a good idea at the time, but when looking back at it, probably isn't going to look as good the next day.

This is a problem with Twitter in that you can post your thoughts instantly without thinking about it. As I've noted before, that can be a problem.

Communication is vitally important to a political campaign. Will this derail the Paul campaign? Who knows. What we can all learn though is, we have to be careful when we use Twitter - especially if we are running for President!