Tough competitive pressures often lead to increasingly "aggressive¼ sales and marketing tactics," Coors Brewing chairman Pete Coors pointed out to California wholesalers recently, but "being vigilant and relentless when it comes to responsible marketing, selling and serving of our products is critical," he stressed. In Coors’ view, responsible marketing and selling are among the "fundamentals" that help build volume and profits. Those fundamentals include "making sure our efforts are not misperceived as targeted to consumers under the age of 21¼ sponsoring on-premise promotions that encourage responsible drinking and discourage reckless drinking" and assisting retailers by "supporting programs and that promote sober driving and discourage drunk driving."

Brewer advertising alone is not enough to demonstrate industry responsibility, said Coors. At the California meeting and in remarks to Beer INSIGHTS Seminar, he praised NBWA’s recent adoption of responsible marketing guidelines as "great news" and emphasized the importance of both wholesalers and retailers joining with brewers to practice responsible marketing: "I’m not passing the buck here, believe me," said Coors. "But indeed the actions of wholesalers and particularly retailers stand a much greater chance of having a positive impact on the general public and consumers than the millions of dollars spent on advertising by domestic brewers." The industry will be "rewarded" for responsible marketing in at least two ways, in Coors’ view. First, "we actually stand to see volume increases across the entire alcohol beverage industry when we’ve reversed the perceptions of individuals and special interest groups who have unfavorable views regarding our business and our products. " Second, "if consumers believe we are doing the right thing they will be less likely to call for intrusive and burdensome reviews by government regulatory agencies." Can the beer industry work with wine and spirits to advance responsible consumption? "Obviously I can’t speak on behalf of the industry," said Coors, but "I think we can work together.... I don’t know if it needs to be a formal relationship, but clearly we face common issues and common problems. How that gets done I will leave to the industry rather than to us as a brewer."

Pete Coors also addressed the minimum age issue at Beer INSIGHTS Seminar. "Should there be an effort to reduce the minimum purchase age?" he was asked. A legislative effort to reduce the drinking age to 18 is "highly unlikely," Coors suggested, despite increasing interest among some college officials to the notion of a "permit" for younger drinkers. "There are just too many antagonists to our industry for me to envision that they’ll make that happen," he said. Coors’ home state Colorado, he pointed out, had the "most sensible drinking law" in the US in the years before the federal mandate passed in 1984. At that time, Colorado allowed 18-20 yr-olds to purchase lower-alcohol 3.2 beer, but required residents to turn 21 before purchasing "strong" beer, wine or spirits. "It was like... a learner’s permit for drivers. I think it made an immense amount of sense."