Marketing
In the 1980s and 1990s, the company sponsored auto racing and motorsports events. When the CART Indycar Series and the NHRA Drag Racing Series sanctioned events in Canada, Molson would sponsor many of those events.
In 2000 Molson attracted a great deal of media attention with its "I am Canadian" advertising campaign. The original sixty second commercial of Joe Canada tried to define what it means to be Canadian based on many light-hearted and stereotypical images of Canada. This campaign generated much publicity and national pride. The ad campaign received a Bronze Lion award at the international advertising awards in Cannes, France. Since then, Molson has transitioned from their old advertising agency, Bensimon Byrne, in favour of another Toronto based shop, Crispin Porter & Bogusky. Molson Canadian advertising in the United States is handled by Taxi New York, an advertising firm with Canadian roots.
After the Molson Inc. merger with the American Coors company, on 14 March 2005, the Molson Coors Brewing Company announced that it was retiring its "I Am Canadian" advertising slogan for the new tagline "It Starts Here". Shortly after, a Molson TV advertising campaign started, with Canadian actor Jason Jones portraying an American spokesperson who played upon the stereotypes of American ignorance of Canadian culture. Molson Canadian went through a significant re-staging during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games where Molson Canadian Hockey House became "the" venue outside of competition venues. The new "made from Canada" advertising caught the hearts, minds and stomachs of Canadians and the brand saw share growth in early 2010. Molson Canadian remains a core strategic brand in the portfolio in Canada.
Molson Coors has launched the world’s only microcarbonated lager in November 2009, calling it Molson M. In order to keep the secret of this injection of CO2 carbonation that results in conserving the taste of the hops better and the flavours generated by the yeast during fermentation, Molson has decided to apply for a patent on the microcarbonation process involved in making the beer.
Molson Coors Canada was also named to the 2011 list of top employers in Canada, as well as in the Greater Toronto Area. In 2010 Molson Coors Canada was recognized by "I Love Rewards" as one of the top 50 most engaged companies in Canada. Molson Coors Canada was also one of the top ten "regional winners" in pursuit of the top ten most admired cultures in Canada, as determined by Waterhouse Human Capital. Molson Coors Canada was also one of the finalists for Marketer of the Year by Marketing Magazine. In Quebec Molson Coors Canada is seen as one of the most philanthropic companies in 2010. Molson Coors Canada's commitment to community has been evidenced for over 224 years.
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