Wouldn’t you love to be the fly of a boardroom at times? I would.
For instance, it would have been interesting to hear the discussion that led to Anheuser-Busch being the official beer sponsor at Fiserv Forum. That’s where the Milwaukee Bucks play. In Milwaukee, the beer town. The hometown of Miller Brewing Co., whose headquarters is at 3939 W. Highland Blvd.
But of course, Miller is owned by Molson Coors, and a few years ago that company moved to Chicago. So when the Molson Coors brass goes to a ballgame, they won’t be humiliated by seeing a Budweiser bowtie atop Fiserv arena. But their Milwaukee area employees will.
Not only did A-B get exclusive beer and hard seltzer sponsorship rights, but it also bought non-exclusive sponsorship in the ready-to-drink canned cocktails category.
As for Molson Coors, having lost the sponsorship rights to A-B in Fiserv Arena, it issued a statement asserting, “Milwaukee is more than a sponsorship to us, it’s our home. And whether it’s our county parks or community organizations across the Milwaukee area, or the Brewers, the Packers, and Summerfest, we will continue investing here in our hometown. We wish the team success, and we will continue finding unique ways to invest in this city.”
Matt Green, who was visiting Milwaukee from St. Louis, the hometown of Anheuser-Busch, told WISN-TV he thinks such a change seems wrong. “Miller is iconic. It goes with the Bucks, goes with the Brewers. So, I’d say keep it Miller. It’s like naming Busch Stadium, Miller Park. You can’t really do that. Can you?”