Camden again

Quite a sum they want to raise there. The website doesn't make clear what benefits, if any, will be given to investors in exchange for their money....

To be fair to Brewdog, I thought their idea was quite original at the time. It allowed them to raise capital without putting themselves at risk (of a takeover, for example). I'm a Brewdog shareholder and it was made clear up front what I would get in return for my cash. I get discounts and other benefits which I am perfectly happy with for an outlay of less than £100. Now I guess everyone is jumping on the crowdfunding bandwagon.

 

I think the key thing, which Brewdog got right, is significant brand exposure prior to attempting to raise capital in this way. A few years ago they occupied a distinct section of the marketplace and were instantly recognisable as a result - it grabbed attention. Probably a bit harder to do that now.....

Not sure how Camden will fare. Nor am I sure whether I want them to succeed, based on recent news reports.

Lol

 

They hit their funding target yesterday I believe. I wrote about it when they announced they would be seeking funding and from the numbers, it's obvious that they're not really seeking investors as such. They were really looking for donations. I'm all for companies allowing their customers to become part of the organisation and let them bring something to the table, but this is just about tapping into the cash reserves of your loyal customers in my opinion.

In my article I compared Camden to BrewDog because they have both crowdsourced funding, and Duvel owned Boulevard, because they are of the same value as Camden's target would suggest. Conclusion was that BrewDog's deal was marginally better, and BrewDog has a much larger capacity. The comparison to Boulevard shows just how ridiculous Camden's valuation is.

Article here if anybody's interested: http://themissingdrink.com/camden-town-crowdfunding/

 

Interesting article. It's good to see a beer writer's article so well-researched and thought out. And not to make it weird but I think I recognise you, do you work in Urban Tap House?

 

I do indeed! (Totally separate from my writing etc. etc.)

 

Thanks for your comments on the article too!