2007-02-16

Click Your Way To A Say On Lakeport Sale

The Hamilton Spectator
(Feb 15, 2007)
A new website is asking beer drinkers to weigh in on Labatt's proposed takeover of Lakeport.

Hamiltonbeer.com asks visitors to complete a three-click survey related to analyst speculation Labatt will close the Hamilton brewery.

The survey asks users to identify their current beer of choice and whether they will switch that brand if Labatt, owned by Belgian beer giant InBev, shuts down Lakeport's Hamilton operations.

"We thought it would be a good opportunity to let average consumers tell big corporations how they intend to vote with their wallets," said Waterdown's Mike Manzoni of Floodgate Marketing Inc.

Since creating the site with Ancaster's LinxSmart Solutions last week, Manzoni has received more than 340 completed surveys.

Early results show that 38 per cent of Labatt drinkers would switch to another company's beer if Labatt closes Lakeport. Only 10 per cent of Lakeport drinkers would switch to a Labatt brand, Manzoni said.

"We're getting hits from all over Ontario and even the U.S.," Manzoni said. "It's growing virally."

The site also includes a message board for individual comments.

Earlier this month, Lakeport's board of trustees unanimously approved Labatt's $201.4-million bid for the Hamilton brewery. Analysts saw the move as an attempt to cool the competition Labatt faced from Lakeport's "buck a beer" strategy.

The deal still has to be cleared by the competition bureau and must also be accepted by two-thirds of Lakeport's unit holders.

Used with permission from The Hamilton Spectator, www.thespec.com Copyright The Hamilton Spectator. All rights reserved.