"Rooted in counterculture, craftsmanship, and community"

A fundamental tension in the consumer packaged goods market is quality vs. commodity. Probably other markets too, but I know less about those. Customers want the best, say, nonalcoholic beer for their money; nonalcoholic beer brewers want the best money for their nonalcoholic beer. Sometimes, they meet in the middle organically. Most times, though, it falls on marketing to close the gap. This week, for example, I learned of a…

In addition to all beginning with “c,” these words all have specific meanings. None of them apply to NA beer as such. Do they apply to this brand? I mean, almost certainly not? Commerce, virtually by definition, cannot be countercultural; pasteurizing malt juice for distribution at scale is not a lay characterization of artisanship; and recurring purchases do not a commune make. Wrapping an undifferentiated product in the parlance of the wholesome and righteous may be an expedient way to move cases, but it is also an expedient way to win Buzzwords of The Week.

If you see beverage-alcohol corporatespeak in the wild that deserves to be the next Fingers Buzzword, submit it for consideration to [email protected]. All submissions anonymous!