A few years ago my decades long brand allegiance to Mr. Jack Daniels was severed when the iconic brand was outed for having diluted Old No. 7 without so much as a by your leave to the legions of faithful sippers.

As a result of that marketing gaffe – remember the Classic Coke disaster? – I switched back to a favorite from my, uh-hem, formative years – Jim Beam – to punish Lynchburg’s favorite son.

This is more than Tennessee vs. Kentucky. Charcoal filtered vs. charred barrels. In today’s online edition Ad Age reports the folks at Beam have announced a $100-million shift in media strategy aimed at really pushing the word-of-mouth category of unmeasured ad spending.

With social content media alternatives popping up like unwanted relatives at a family reunion, it’s no wonder traditional print feels threatened. All I know is the folks at Beam Global Wine & Spirits want to reward their evangelistas. Where do I sign up?