OT: Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) picking battles with small business owners

[CantHaveTkachev]

Seems like a dick move from Moslon and the Oilers. Honestly though it's not that big of a deal. Just change "Oilers special" to "Game day special." Problem solved. Or sell Molson beer and use the Oilers brand name. I don't imagine either would have much of an impact on business.

exactly

or change it to "Come Watch Edmonton vs. Calgary hockey game here! Specials throughout the game"

easy fix by taking out the word "Oilers"

 

[gooilgo]

Bit of a dick move by OEG imo.

 

[UnrefinedCrude]

You protect your branding or you lose control of it.
The Oilers have deals with obligations. These deals are important to profits.
All this guy has to do is either just stock a bit of Molson product, or just substitute "Hockey" for "Oilers" on his ads. He has no right to use other peoples'/companies' brands to promote his business.

1. Consider the intention and circumstances surrounding this saga. This is the poster in question

The first thing I see in that poster is the bar in question promoting Yellowhead Lager. So he's not only running an unsanctioned Oilers promotion, he specifically tying it to another brand of beer, as if they were a sponsor. It's not like he's offering generic beer and/or food specials, which would still be against the deal the Oilers have with Molson, he's actively promoting another brand by using the Oilers branding. He hasn't mentioned the brand of popcorn he's using, but the brand of beer is specified.

So the circumstance and intention of this poster is to use the Oilers brand to promote a non-partner brand of beer.
he's so far offside in this it's not even funny.

 

[NeverForget06]

Granville Island is under the Molson umbrella. It is technically a craft beer (term used loosely). Although it's not Alberta, maybe they would make one exception. Have one tap for Granville Island. Don't advertise it, have a small printed label on one tap.

Loophole

Thats what I was wondering, I know Molson Canadian is the specific partner, but would they raise a stink if it was another beer under the MolsonCoors conglomerate? They sell a million different types of beers, wouldn't be too hard to find an appropriate one for the bar as you say.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I will be polite one last time.

The key to the battle is Molson. They are putting pressure on the oilers.

Maybe because I am in business and dealt with this stuff I have a different perspective.
The business guys need to drop oilers and nhl from any promotional material

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Anyone else feels the axe grinding? You know, the one OP has against Katz and the OEG?

 

[YakDavid]

It honestly makes total sense. People are going into this with emotion but you are using a trademarked logo, Oilers, and promoting beer that is not the official sponsor. Molson is being nice and not doing anymore then just saying stop. It is a slippery slope to let a bar have the logo.

 

[Dorian2]

OP may want to consider a certain precedent being set if they let 1 bar slide. Of course that has already been mentioned in this thread...i.e. there is a great number of other craft beer shops that are following the rules to allow them to use certain marketing material for their business and to attract a certain demographic of customers. It works both ways. Both big and small companies spend a lot of money marketing stuff. It isn't a free market.

 

[CycloneSweep]

OP may want to consider a certain precedent being set if they let 1 bar slide. Of course that has already been mentioned in this thread...i.e. there is a great number of other craft beer shops that are following the rules to allow them to use certain marketing material for their business and to attract a certain demographic of customers. It works both ways. Both big and small companies spend a lot of money marketing stuff. It isn't a free market.

Yep. If they let this small bar do it what stops the next bar or bigger ones from doing it?

Also like jumptheshark said, this almost has nothing really to do with the OEG, they probably personally don't care. Their legal obligation to their contract to Molson probably cares so they need to not breach their contract.

There is literally no hard here from the OEG, they aren't suing or anything. They asked them to sell Molson or stop using their name. If the bar wants to be petty and keep doing it than yeah the OEG might seek legal action. Or the bar can just listen to the very reasonable request.

 

[LaGu]

Edit: I forgot that I should have left this thread already.

 

[Blue And Orange]

Even though I'm happy that the Oilers are now a good team, I still think Katz is a douchebag.

Seriously, you made the city pay for your hockey palace and now you're trying to pick a fight with small business owners. Not exactly a great way to thank them.

 

[Jumptheshark]

maybe because I have run a bar in both Edmonton and Vancouver--I have a different perspective on this

this is going back nearly 20 years and 20 years ago the bars I ran fell foul of the the laws this thread is talking about

my saturday night leaflet was something "Saturday night-CANADA'S game" and when it came to the teams "Wedneday night SHOW your pro colors". Molson pays A LOT of money to teams and to the NHL--small businesses need to get more creative in getting around things

what is going on is small business using big business without paying big business to grow

I will use this site as an example

many former posters have a problem with certain things here

one poster started a website hfbroads.com trying to build off both the resentment some had and the fact many people mispelled this sites name and paid to have anyone who mistyped this URL would be sent to his site

was that right?

 

[soothsayer]

Some of the criticism that the Oilers are getting in this thread and elsewhere is entirely valid. What some "business people" seem to forget, a little too often if you ask me, is that business practice still falls within the moral landscape that we as individuals fall under. In other words, a business is subject to much of the same moral judgements that Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane are. Corporate contracts don't just absolve a group of people from doing clearly immoral things. Of course, many large corporations get away with garbage dealings for precisely this reason. But anyone who has studied corporate history knows that being too shitty too often, despite the contractual legitimacy of some of those dealings, can lead to severe repercussions, sometimes even in the form of bankruptcy.

Anyways, to be honest this issue is a minor blip on OEG's radar. We only know about it because the owner discussed it publicly, but things like this happen all the time. That said, that doesn't mean that it's not a shitty move by OEG. Businesses try to pretend like they aren't beholden to the same moral standards as individuals (there is a reason why business ethics courses in college aren't taught by anyone in philosophy departments), but really they are, whether they like it or not, and history has shown it. People have a legitimate claim to be upset here.

 

[AM]

On a funny note, reading the CBC thread is humourous. The "we shouldnt pay for anything" crowd is heavy.

 

[AM]

Some of the criticism that the Oilers are getting in this thread and elsewhere is entirely valid. What some "business people" seem to forget, a little too often if you ask me, is that business practice still falls within the moral landscape that we as individuals fall under. In other words, a business is subject to much of the same moral judgements that Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane are. Corporate contracts don't just absolve a group of people from doing clearly immoral things. Of course, many large corporations get away with garbage dealings for precisely this reason. But anyone who has studied corporate history knows that being too ****ty too often, despite the contractual legitimacy of some of those dealings, can lead to severe repercussions, sometimes even in the form of bankruptcy.

Anyways, to be honest this issue is a minor blip on OEG's radar. We only know about it because the owner discussed it publicly, but things like this happen all the time. That said, that doesn't mean that it's not a ****ty move by OEG. Businesses try to pretend like they aren't beholden to the same moral standards as individuals (there is a reason why business ethics courses in college aren't taught by anyone in philosophy departments), but really they are, whether they like it or not, and history has shown it. People have a legitimate claim to be upset here.

Funny, what business man ever was successful giving away their product when somebody has payed for it?

 

[harpoon]

one poster started a website hfbroads.com trying to build off both the resentment some had and the fact many people mispelled this sites name and paid to have anyone who mistyped this URL would be sent to his site. Was that right?

You forget to mention that you were a willing and eager participant at that site.

 

[Jumptheshark]

You forget to mention that you were a willing and eager participant at that site.

Does that matter? I was sent there after typing this sites name wrong. While it may not have been a lot of money.. that site did draw posters a3ayvfrom this place. I assure a lot of time and money has been put in this sites brand. While i was not good friends with one of the brothers who founded this site.. We were drinking friends and he gave me some insight in the time and money spent on this site.

How much time and money gave the oilers, nhl and Molson spent on their brands? And why should they allow anyone to make money of their brand freely? There are ways around it and as a former bar manager I can tell you it is not hard once you get creative.

 

[shoop]

You protect your branding or you lose control of it.
The Oilers have deals with obligations. These deals are important to profits.
All this guy has to do is either just stock a bit of Molson product, or just substitute "Hockey" for "Oilers" on his ads. He has no right to use other peoples'/companies' brands to promote his business.

Yup. How much more would it cost for Oilers tickets if they didn't have an official beer sponsor and there were no beer companies advertising on NHL games?

Bar owner is a jerk who is getting a ton of free advertising out of this. Arcadia is very much a hipster bar that doesn't attract a typical hockey audience.

The Oilers own the right to their brand. He wants to "promote the games legally", but because he can't he is trying to give the Oilers a black eye rather than deal with their legal request. Hmmm....

 

[Spawn]

Even though I'm happy that the Oilers are now a good team, I still think Katz is a *****ebag.

Seriously, you made the city pay for your hockey palace and now you're trying to pick a fight with small business owners. Not exactly a great way to thank them.

You think Daryl Katz has anything to do with this? That he's sitting in some underground lair stroking a long hair cat telling his lackey's to go out and cause trouble for poor small business owners?

The only person trying to pick a fight in this scenario is the guy who called up the press because he got a letter asking him not to use the Oilers corporation without selling their partners products.

 

[MoneyGuy]

You can't use a company's name or trademark without permission. Open-and-shut case.

 

[Oil Gauge]

I guess I'm going against the general grain of this thread here, but I have to say I'd stand with the local business on this one.

While the Oilers might be legally within their rights, it still doesn't sit right with me. Maybe this is just because I've spent a lot of time living in Chicago, where awesome local pubs will almost always have Cubs/Sox/Bears/Bulls/Hawks gametime specials, without much reference at all to some "preferred" brand of beer.

If Edmonton just wants to be a city full of Hudson's-esque establishments, then I guess that's fine, but if it wants variety & local flavour, you can't have one of the great culturally unifying forces in the city engaging in predatory litigation (or threats thereof) against innovative business models.

They don't have to reference the "preferred" brand. They just have to offer it.

What if each of the bars bought a 12 pack of any molson beer, then charged $100 per can to ensure they never run out?

Then Molson's would probably pull their product from that bar. They would have control of the price that their product is sold for.

Even though I'm happy that the Oilers are now a good team, I still think Katz is a *****ebag.

Seriously, you made the city pay for your hockey palace and now you're trying to pick a fight with small business owners. Not exactly a great way to thank them.

Katz has nothing to do with this. Its Molson's, quite obviously.

The Oilers would be more than happy to have local establishments promoting their broadcasts at no cost to them.

 

[nabob]

Does that matter? I was sent there after typing this sites name wrong. While it may not have been a lot of money.. that site did draw posters a3ayvfrom this place. I assure a lot of time and money has been put in this sites brand. While i was not good friends with one of the brothers who founded this site.. We were drinking friends and he gave me some insight in the time and money spent on this site.

How much time and money gave the oilers, nhl and Molson spent on their brands? And why should they allow anyone to make money of their brand freely? There are ways around it and as a former bar manager I can tell you it is not hard once you get creative.

Did you simply made a typo and never actually visit the site regularly or were you one of the most consistent posters?

Sounds like you're stretching the truth but it's only about 2" long to begin with.

This bar owner is catering to his clientele by going to the media and playing the victim. Saying that the big bad millionaires are trying to keep the little guy down. Not only does he know what he did was wrong, now he's going to the media to try and get more promotion and with Edmonton being as socialist as it is he is having great success

 

[frag2]

Anyone else feels the axe grinding? You know, the one OP has against Katz and the OEG?

I was just gonna ask the same thing. OP seems to have this Anti-Katz thing going on for the last x years. Has he ranted about the Hall trade in this thread as well?

 

[Tom Collins]

This bar owner is catering to his clientele by going to the media and playing the victim. Saying that the big bad millionaires are trying to keep the little guy down. Not only does he know what he did was wrong, now he's going to the media to try and get more promotion and with Edmonton being as socialist as it is he is having great success

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but it's just so ridiculous to me. Could the owner possibly act any more self-entitled here? Be a beer hipster all you want, but if you don't want to play by the simple rules OEG and Molson have in place, don't use their trademarks! If the place isn't even much of a "sports bar" anyway, this shouldn't affect his business at all by dropping the posters. He says he just wants to have people at the bar cheering on the team - well that's fine. They don't even say not to do that, they're saying don't promote it as an "Oilers" special if you don't follow the rules in place to market with the Oilers' trademarks.

 

[shoop]

Maybe I'm over-reacting, but it's just so ridiculous to me. Could the owner possibly act any more self-entitled here? Be a beer hipster all you want, but if you don't want to play by the simple rules OEG and Molson have in place, don't use their trademarks! If the place isn't even much of a "sports bar" anyway, this shouldn't affect his business at all by dropping the posters. He says he just wants to have people at the bar cheering on the team - well that's fine. They don't even say not to do that, they're saying don't promote it as an "Oilers" special if you don't follow the rules in place to market with the Oilers' trademarks.

The place isn't a sportsbar at all. Cool little hipster joint on 124 street. Meh, the owner got a little free advertising out of it.

Nor surprising the media outlet that ran with the story was the CBC. The one place guaranteed to have no clue about business.

This bar owner is catering to his clientele by going to the media and playing the victim. Saying that the big bad millionaires are trying to keep the little guy down. Not only does he know what he did was wrong, now he's going to the media to try and get more promotion and with Edmonton being as socialist as it is he is having great success

His clientele that didn't seem like it would be much into watching hockey. Only been there once, but it was not a place I'd go to watch a game. That's fine he can stick to his niche, but why pretend you care about the Oilers when you are just slagging them for free media.