Now the Oktoberfest kicked off this weekend, what a perfect time to watch ‘Beer Wars’.

The movie documents the struggle of small entrepeneurs pinned against the evil 2-3 corporations that rule the American beer world.

It’s a fun, but simple movie with an obvious message and to be quite frank, although I dig the topic, I’m a sucker of all things food and drink related as you know, the message is a bit too obvious. Blame the government, blame the media, blame the big corporations.

Sure, as a small business owner myself, this is always the “easy-out-message”. But for the sake of the movie, I would’ve loved to have heard a few more stories of actual small brewers, entrepreneurs and connoisseurs that are fighting the good fight and bringing amazing product to the people.

The other thing I noticed in the movie is the obvious connection between marketing and product sales. Budweiser sells lots of beer during Superbowl, cause they are able to pay Millions of Dollars on advertising and the “Average Joe” sees the ad and grabs the Bud?

The movie pointed out amazingly that all the LITE beers taste the same to the average consumer and it’s all a big marketing hype. Which is interesting, as I am now 10 years in the country and I don’t think I have ever bought a Lite beer, or drank one for that matter.

Why are people so easy over here? Why is marketing so simple? Are people that gullible?

We are living in the most exciting times for small “foodie” entrepeneurs in the US. America is discovering its terroir and despite the seemingly impossible competition of the Walmarts in every category, young and driven entrepreneurs are offering up amazing and sometimes even more exciting products than their European counterparts, that often were the inspiration for many decades and still hold the gold standard for many lifestyle related products. But that standard is under attack. American producers are offering up a huge selection and an impressive quality standard on their products. That combined with very passionate fans and cool marketing should be enough to take the world by storm.

But perhaps that’s exactly the problem. A quality product, a loved, handcrafted product perhaps shouldn’t take the world by storm. Perhaps attention to detail is just not scalable.

Many of the heralded European counterparts are fiercely local. The Octoberfest only allows breweries to pour that are within the City limits and that will not ever change. Budweiser will never be served at the Oktoberfest, and neither does Dogfish. But that is exactly the point. We live in a global world, but not everything scales well.

We discovered terrior through food and farm products. It’s cool to be young and be “producing” something. Now let’s use the global tools of marketing and media to reach out local market first, rather then claiming to stay small but aiming to unseat the Budweisers of our time.

And! Here is a question for all of you: What does terrior mean to a marketing firm. No, not, how to market terroir. But are we patient enough to establish our product locally, really establish it, before we expand out into the global market place, fighting for dollar and “sense” against the big juggerauts of our society?

Below is the trailer for the movie, enjoy!

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

A free-verse poem, “Here’s to the Crazy Ones”, written by a Chiat/Day copywriter, Craig Tanimoto for Apple Inc.

I do say “brilliant” alot, so I suppose I will leave it off the headline, also this is really a “brilliant” travel planner.

That’s why the NYT is great, or brilliant, if you will. Done some checking on visiting Yellowstone. No dates, detailed plans, just some basic information. Google has it all, tons of maps, pictures, etc.

But the NYT article is short, concice and trustworthy. That’s why editoral voices are so important in the days of enless content.

(einmaleins is the exclusive US distributor of quattrocelli CD’s – contact us for details!)

Yeah, I know… thanks for noticing.
Oh, not me. Right, just some supercool ads from, unfortuantely not related “Eichler Homes” from 1956 in Sacramento, CA on flickr.

I think I will borrow the entire style and copy for some of my next marketing strategy – this is so brilliant!

Oh, and wait for me to start designing and building houses next… Downtown Olympia, here I come. They will be awesome. Or as the ads put it:

“smartest looking home we’ve ever lived in”

“the most important room in the house”

“a better way of life”

“we’re years ahead”

And did you see the prices? AMAZING!

There is no more difference between performance and environmental concern – the new Porsche 918 Hybrid Spyder. Awesome doesn’t even describe it…

My son will be in heaven… and I am drooling too.

Apple is about the launch an updated version of it’s limping and self-titled “hobby project”, the Apple TV. Fast Company has a summary of all the rumors, date of possible release and even price point. If it’s $99, it would break me and I would have to go out NOW to buy it.

But, one other thought I want to add, that hasn’t been addressed by the rumor sites I have been perusing to collect information.

One of the unsolved puzzles of iTV is what input device will be used to control the unit, as it most likely will run on some form of iOS.

Well a new remote might be the solution, but I think Apple gave us already a hint: the new Magic Trackpad. It’s an input device that can do as much as any trackpad on a Macbook and essentially does all the functions of the glass cover of an iPhone or iPad. And now with the trackpad it doesn’t need a surface to move on, like the mouse always needed. You could now have the Trackpad sitting on the side of your couch, on your knee or on your coffee table and input like a champ.

Perhaps even keyboard entries will be made easier, as with remote controls selecting letters for search funtions, on the Roku, for example is a pain in the arse and typing with your fingers, or even selecting will be faster.

Thoughts??

(photo credit: Fast Company)