After publically announcing a decision to change the alcohol
content of Maker's Mark, company execs have changed their minds. They will not
change the 45% Alcohol by Volume to 42% largely because of an extremely
negative social media response to the original announcement.
According to the Associated Press, Maker's Mark tweeted to
fans on Sunday, "You spoke. We listened." The tweet meant that the alcohol
content in Maker's Mark would not be changed after all. The idea to alter the
Bourbon had stemmed from a shortage problem. The company was going to add slightly
more water to the alcohol, without changing the flavor, to stretch the number
of bottles that could be made from each batch.
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Unfortunately, everyone was so busy focusing on making more
Maker's Mark that no one thought how customers would feel about a change
being made to a brand that has stayed exactly the same for over 50 years. "Our
focus was on the supply problem. That led to us focusing on a solution. We got
it totally wrong," said Bill Samuels Chairman Emeritus and the founder's
son.
Maker's Mark officials heard from thousands of fans that
they would rather put up with a bourbon shortage than see a change to the
esteemed drink. After taking in the feedback, most of it in the form of angry
Facebook and Twitter comments, the Maker's Mark execs have halted all plans to
water down the spirit.
In a letter to "Friends" posted on the Maker's Mark
website Rob and Bill Samuels stated, "We'll set about getting back to bottling the handcrafted bourbon
that our father/grandfather, Bill Samuels, Sr. created. Same recipe. Same
production process. Same product."
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While Maker's
Mark fans have seen a victory for the moment, the original problem still has
not been solved. Because Maker's Mark has seen a rapid increase in popularity,
the company hasn't been able to keep up with demand. It takes six to seven
years to age the bourbon, so the company can expand production now, but it will
take at least six years to fix today's supply issue.
Do you think
Maker's Mark made the right decision?
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