It’s 2018, and as a brewer, you feel like you’re drowning in beer -- and not in a good way. At this point in the game, there are over 5,000 breweries in the U.S., and that number will only continue to grow. Out of that 5,000 only a few will achieve the success they set out to find. So how do you make sure that your brand can stay afloat among all of this competition?
Our best advice: look to the experts. We checked out three fast growing, innovative breweries who have some serious insight on what it takes to make it in the industry. Read on to discover what they are doing to get ahead of their competitors.
Create an Immersive Experience
“We grind out tastings like nobody else’s business… making liquid to lips our main marketing push,” said Donovan Bailey, founder of Down The Road Brewing Co., of the strategy that’s made them one of the fastest growing Boston-based breweries. While social media marketing should still be a major part of your strategy (we’ll discuss this more later), in person, experiential tactics are just as important. And if anyone knows this, it’s Down The Road.
A Brewery based out of Everett, MA, Down The Road has prioritized creating experiences for and forming a genuine connection with their customers. They’ve put a major emphasis on reaching out to beer drinkers IRL, and host more sampling events than any other Boston-area beer company.
According to Donovan, this has been a major key to the brewery’s success. “[We invest in other] experiential stuff… but the in-the-bar and in-store tastings are what we’re doing most.” We tagged along with Down the Road to a recent tasting event and got a behind the scenes look at what makes their promotions so successful. Check out the tips and tricks they taught us in this minute-by-minute breakdown we put together!
It is worth mentioning that on top of all of that, Down the Road also puts art and design at the center of their strategy, working with the local art community to create beautiful artwork for their cans and put on awesome events at the brewery.
Embrace the Value of Failure
Moosehead Breweries takes serious pride in its Canadian roots, and they won’t let you forget it.
As the last independent brewery in the country, still owned by the Oland family who started it over 150 years ago, Moosehead uses its history to connect with Canadians and build brand loyalty, and their iconic moose labeling helps with brand recognition. But perhaps Moosehead’s greatest claim to fame is their ability to bounce back after facing a setback.
Since 1867, the brewery has survived two major fires, the Halifax Explosion, and the woes of prohibition and the temperance movement. Despite all of this, they are now the largest Canadian brewery still owned by Canadians. CEO Andrew Oland believes “the bigger opportunities were a chance to fail, a chance to make mistakes, and an opportunity to learn.”
Bringing this sort of agility into your brewery’s business plan can bring you success as well. Make data-backed decisions to adjust your brand’s sales or marketing approach, see how the adjustment plays out over a short period of time, and use what you learn to inform future decisions. Even if an idea totally flops, there is always a lesson to be learned. The Oland family’s refusal to throw in the towel when things got tough serves as an example for other brewers to look for a silver lining and use that to their advantage.
Give the People What They Want
What’s a better combination than great food, great beer, and great friends? We certainly can’t think of anything, which is why Ipswich Ale Brewery in Ipswich, MA is such an exciting brand to us. The brewery recently opened the Ipswich Ale Brewer’s Table, a restaurant situated inside the brewery, where they feature an eclectic menu and host live music every Thursday and Friday. This concept entices people who enjoy beer but maybe don’t see themselves going to a brewery -- think parents, nine-to-fivers, the older crowd, etc. Having something else to offer to your visitors will bring more business to your brand and establish you as more than just another brewery.
While not everyone can afford to open a restaurant in-house, you can still find innovative ways to draw in a new crowd to your home base. Take a page out of Down the Road’s handbook by scheduling food trucks or caterers to stop by the brewery and feed your hungry hopsters. On top of food, you can offer plenty of other unconventional experiences to customers. Host weekly events such as a paint night or a kids night so different demographics of people get more out of a visit than just a tour and a beer tasting.
Based on what these breweries are doing, there seems to be one underlying theme: connecting with your customers. Finding creative ways to build a stronger bond with your target audience matters significantly in a saturated market, as a buyer’s loyalty to your brand means the difference between them purchasing your newest IPA or your competitor’s. So get out there, build those connections, and keep brewing!
Check out this post to learn more about how your brand can nail your local market in a unique way.
