Maker's Mark's Plain Dumb Move Proved To Be Pure Marketing Genius

Sex sells, and so does panic, apparently. Sales of Maker's Mark bourbon, known for its distinctive red wax seal, soared 44 percent in the first quarter, its best ever, after the distillery announced in mid-February that it plans to water down its own product and lower the proof due to shortage of raw materials. That led to a revolt among loyal customers, but whereas people usually boycott a product when they are not happy, Maker's announcement turned out to boost sales. Customers started hoardin...