Boston Beer to Increase Marketing

Dear Client: Okay, first let's get through the relevant facts: Boston Beer Co.'s second quarter distributor sales-to-retailers, what they call depletions, grew 2%, which was an improvement over the decrease in the first quarter of 5%, but founder Jim Koch warned that most of that improvement was due to cycling comparable depletions during the voluntary April recall last year. Plus, Jim says they are now facing "increased competition from expanded distribution of domestic specialty brands and regional craft brands, and