CLEAR THINKING

"Zima is about choice. It's not steeped in tradition like beer."

From "The Top Ten Things Overheard on Elvis's Sixtieth Birthday." Number 7: I just heard that Elvis's ghost signed an endorsement deal with Zima.

Last Wednesday Coors announced that it was restructuring its sales, marketing and operations units--the better to focus on the business of selling beer.

Among other things, the changes mean that the new product development unit--which created Zima--will be placed under the same marketing structure responsible for the established brands.

According to Handfelt, the move was merely a matter of "integration and internal restructuring" that would allow the company to "better leverage resources." According to industry observers, Coors realized it was investing too much time and money in new products at the expense of its tried-and-true beers.