I finally finished Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer and the story of the Busch family, politics, commerce, and more. It was interesting because this truely "American" company is a very strong brand that has evolved over 100+ years before its monarchy ended in 2009 with the InBev partnership. What I enjoyed about the book is the factors that made the company great and their leaders so iconic.

1. Influence of popularity
• When your name is synonymous with a brand, you flaunt your money in ways that sometimes seem unethical. Popularity causes crowds of people to flock to you and as a result you feel obligated to keep them there. The Busch family threw parties, built theme parks, and gave away free beer.
2. Quality above Quantity
• Beer and other perishable goods must meet very strict demands to taste good and stay fresh. Busch never changed their formula to meet demand and instead stayed true to the fermentation processes and would inspect distributors for old beer past its shelf life. They never compromised on their recipe and it helped them gain loyal drinkers. This enabled Busch to hold a majority market share in the competitive market of beer for years and years.
3. Trends Come and Go
• As the company grew and supply chain sped up, Busch branched out to some but not all "comparable" markets like food, baseball, and merchandise. They stuck through Prohibition by lobbying. They didn't join the light beer party until well after it was established. They did make an Australian style lager and hard alcohol options when tastes changed. Knowing your market strategy can guide you to making the best decisions for you and whether or not you should participate in certain trends.