Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I frequent a local brewery and the owner has become a personal friend of mine. I've known him fairly well for about two years. The guy is around 60 and just started this business several years ago - he couldn't have been younger than 55 or so when he started it. My family has connections and friendships with him going back to my dad and a couple of uncles. With all the family ties, he's like an extended uncle to me now.
The problem is that apparently neither him nor any of his staff can spell worth a damn. "Blackberry" became "BlackBerrie," and this was printed on a massive line of cans he had done for retail sale. There are misspellings on his public ads, on beer labels, etc. When you go in the taproom, probably a third of the beers on the chalk board he has are spelled incorrectly. It's a huge distraction.
The guy has massive talent as a brewer and has been discussed numerous times on beer fora and state Facebook beer groups as one of the best breweries in his state, but these spelling errors are making the place look like it's run by imbeciles. His beer board is spelled so incorrectly that people who aren't familiar with him or his brewing may not even know what some beers are/supposed to be.
How would you approach him on this?
I would not bring it up if you want to remain his friend. At age 60, he may suffer from an un-diagnosed learning disability.
Is the business suffering? He's a brewer not an English teacher. Maybe he could hire a college student/waitress to edit his advertising.
Again, I don't know the guy, but he may be insulted at your suggestion.
Challenge him to a spelling bee when he's sober and you're inebriated on his product.
Lol, reminds me of playing a game of Scrabble at a bar one night. One of the 4, a retired USAF Col., played the word 'Spang'. What??? This isn't a word...we asked him to use it in a sentence. "I been to Spang...you know, Spang...that country!"
It took some convincing that it wasn't spelled correctly. ..and besides, it was a proper noun...no proper nouns in Scrabble! Its been 20 years and I still laugh about it.
I'm an editor. I get paid what I secretly think is a ridiculous sum to make sure things like that don't slip past me. Believe me, this guy knows what is going on. He probably hears 5 times a day that there are misspellings on his beers and it is likely music to his ears - a little song that goes "Cha-ching! Cha-ching!" This is marketing, not ignorance.
My concern would be that the brewer had the same lackadaisical attitude shown by the writing towards quality control and sanitation. There's a reason to strive for professionalism in every facet of a business.
Given that it's incredibly rare to find spelling errors on labels, even the hardcore English Language Nazi who abides by such a policy will rarely have a transaction-determining situation arise
This is really petty, IMO. You said he's been recognized for his talents as a brewer, so clearly it hasn't affected his business in any way. It sounds like you're the only one with a problem about it so shake it off and move on. It doesn't sound like he needs your advice and is doing just fine. Misspellings and all!
Lol, reminds me of playing a game of Scrabble at a bar one night. One of the 4, a retired USAF Col., played the word 'Spang'. What??? This isn't a word...we asked him to use it in a sentence. "I been to Spang...you know, Spang...that country!"
It took some convincing that it wasn't spelled correctly. ..and besides, it was a proper noun...no proper nouns in Scrabble! Its been 20 years and I still laugh about it.
It's a good thing he was never ordered to bomb Spain. God only knows who we would still be at war with today!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kokonutty
My concern would be that the brewer had the same lackadaisical attitude shown by the writing towards quality control and sanitation. There's a reason to strive for professionalism in every facet of a business.
That would probablywould cross my mind, too.
It minds me of a time my wife and I were waiting to cross the street at Hennepin and Lagoon in Minneapolis, and a big, beat-up old truck drove past us. On the side, painted in hand with a paint brush, it said "Garbage And Rubbage Halling and Removal." My wife said, "Well, that will probably scare away a lot of business." I said, "Why? They specialize in throwing away garbage. If it said 'Fat Frank's Moble Sooshi Bar - Bloghfish Are Specialty', I'd probably be concerned."
Last edited by Mr. In-Between; 05-24-2019 at 08:41 AM..
Why would any educated person wish to have a friend who embarrasses him? I wouldn't buy his beer either as it would be painful to be forced to view the misspelled labels.
Correct usage includes correct spelling!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
