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Even a group of highly talented professionals can sometimes find itself struggling to find a solution to a problem. So when things look like they’re grinding to a halt in workplace discussions, you need to find a way to kick-start a breakthrough.
Some swear by strategies such as having everyone jot down a set number of ideas, either good or bad. Others say that when creative lockup occurs, it’s best to let everyone go home, get some rest, and take a fresh look at the situation the next day. And now, beverage maker Suntory has a suggestion of its own: When the participants in an office meeting aren’t making progress towards a solution, why not let them crack open a beer?
Specifically, Suntory is talking about non-alcoholic beer, such as its All-Free brand. After getting off to a shaky start, alcohol-free beer has been rising in popularity in Japan over the past few years. Asahi says it’ll be boosting its production of non-alcoholic beer for the peak-demand period until the end of August by 20 percent compared to last year, while Kirin is pumping out twice as much for the two-month period as it had originally planned.
On the distribution front, Suntory says it will be installing some 500 vending machines in Japan stocked only with non-alcoholic beer, with many of the machines planned for installation in office buildings to meet demand from customers who want to knock back a non-alcoholic beer during workday breaks. Ryuji Ito, a Suntory marketing representative, even goes so far as to say “There are increasing opportunities to drink non-alcoholic beer as a mental refresher during meeting that get bogged down.”
But while Ito is bullish on the concept of using non-alcoholic beer as a lubricant to get your mental gears turning again, it’s also important to bear in mind that some Japanese companies very much frown upon the idea, so if you’re new on the job you’re probably best off sticking to coffee or tea unless your boss specifically offers you an alcohol-free brew.
Source: NHK News Web via Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Japanese worker’s job threatened for drinking non-alcoholic beer during break
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-- New Suntory Japanese beer tells you what time to drink it
- External Link
- http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/07/18/work-meeting-isnt-going-anywhere-suntory-suggests-cracking-open-a-non-alcoholic-beer/
12 Comments
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NZ2011
Non-alcohol beer. Don't understand.
Boring meeting + non-alcohol beer = bad meeting bad beer.
Boring meeting + alcohol = Tolerable meeting maybe some new ideas.
Steven Fennel
im gonna suggest this in my next meeting but for myself ill get a beer with a label written entirely in English and tell them its a 'kaigai' non-alcohol beer. also maybe slip some whiskey into my beer, just to win even more.
Scrote
If the meeting isn't achieving anything other than wasting people's time, then call it off.
Ah_so
They'd be better off having a real beer.
Cortes Elijah
Non-alcoholic beer is like drinking cold piss in a beer tin.
BertieWooster
NA Beer is great with gin in it. If it's a Suntory NA, the ratio of 50:50 gin and beer is recommended.
Blacklabel
Uh no that's not happening. Just like Premium Friday (also "sponsored" by this same company) was never going to last more than one time.
Andy
The photo included in this article looks too similar to the after product of drinking said alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer.
Usagi Youjinbou
+Cortes Elijah How the hell did you end up drinking cold piss in a beer can? I can't believe you actually fell for that stupid prank! LOL
ultradork
Just like decaf coffee; I will never consume that and it is not allowed in my house. If I can't have or simply don't wish to have alcohol, I simply drink something else. When my wife was pregnant she drank some but it was pretty gross and she gave up.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Some customers like to buy me a drink so ill chat more and spend more time with them but i often poor a can of this out into a beer glass with a real beer head as i dont want to get too wasted while working (but trust me i like a drink). Its just a means to and end