Layoff apocalypse continues, with a warning.
You’ve no doubt heard by now that Brown-Forman is the latest spirits conglomerate to lay off a good sized portion of their workforce. Chuck Cowdery wrote a piece on the historical POV on them closing their cooperage (200 layoffs). I’m not here to recap the entire shitty press release, which was in fact ULTRA shitty. It’s littered with corporate word salad that’s designed to confuse the reader and make one think this is being done so they can increase growth.
It’s not. It’s complete bullshit designed to satiate jittery shareholders so they don’t panic sell and depress their stock value. The layoffs are a short term (and short sighted) move to cut costs, and appear to be leaner and more agile.
The layoffs will have a lasting impact on Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, and yes, Old Forester. Historically speaking, layoffs generate almost zero goodwill with the former employees. Rarely are the people let go, HAPPY ABOUT IT!
Moves like this inevitably end up demoralizing remaining staff (saddling them with more work, for same pay) and making them acutely aware of just how expendable they are. This also impacts future potential employees who will know going in, that there is no loyalty when things don’t go well.
From Jack’s website, this image is all about lifestyle.
Brands have spent an extraordinary amount of money, effort, and time, to have us view them as not just whiskey brands, but as lifestyle brands. You know, people gathered around a fire, glasses in hand, sharing a moment with those closest to us- people. Brands want us to celebrate the people in our lives with their products. Brands want us to connect those moments with their labels. Brands tout that the people you care about most, are worth sharing a glass or two with.
Brands want you to think that people are the most important thing in life.
Brands put people out in front, visiting our communities and connecting us to them, and the brand. The people doing conventions, tastings, activations, educational events… these are the people delivering that connection to us. They take a transactional thing, and make it personal.
Then when times are tough, roll out the word salads and let people go, without a thought about what it does to the community that believed in that brand, because of the connection made, by the people out in the bars, the hotel conference rooms, the private parties….
And now, with those connections broken, brands will advertise even more unpalatable bullshit about friends for life, family, and experiences.
See? It’s about those special moments with people you care about.
To them I say, you earn loyalty by investing in your people, who will connect your brand to the community, and then you take fucking care of them, because they’re taking care of us, the fans.
When you let them go to cut costs short term just to please the shareholders, you damage your brand with the people you cut, and the people that love your brand. If I was an employee remaining at any of these places cutting a “percentage of their workforce to streamline synergies and businesses” I’d know that this isn’t a place that cares about people at all, and one day I could be next.
I lost some “percentage points” which are ACTUAL FUCKING HUMANS that I consider friends at brands over the last 18 months. Know what? I don’t buy their products anymore.
I care more about people than brands do.
Brands- DO FUCKING BETTER, because your marketing isn’t matching your reality, and we are paying attention.
- Mickey Pinstripe