Category: Sales and Marketing
Expert Topic Adding a Brand Manager to a Craft Brewery
In the dozen or so years that Country Boy Brewing has been around, the Kentucky brewery has grown into multiple locations and used its influence to help change state laws to better help breweries. Feeling confident about the beers and the direction of the beverage program, during the COVID-19 pandemic one of the founding partners, Daniel “DH” Harrison took on a different role as brand manager.
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Expert Topic Making the Most of Can Label Space
In an increasingly difficult and competitive beer space, breweries need to dial in on the message and visibility. One of the best ways to do this – especially for breweries that are distributing – is to maximize the use of can labels. Even breweries that only sell out of their taprooms should be thinking about how to best use label real estate.
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Expert Topic Why Brewers Look to Space for Inspiration
Humankind has long stared into the heavens at night, admiring the stars, searching for inspiration, and asking questions about the universe and themselves. Many brewers, it turns out, do the same while looking into a pint of freshly poured beer. Maybe it’s that sense of wonder and “what if” that has also led professional brewers to name their lagers and ales after celestial bodies, or to work with space programs on innovations and recipes.
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News How Weihenstephan Selects Beer for Competition
What does it take to win at beer competitions around the world? For the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, it comes down to taste and quality. Brewmaster Tobias Zollo, recently shared insight on what the brewery does to prepare for competitions around the world.
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News BA Rolls Out New Marketing Campaign to Promote Members During Dry January
The Brewers Association has rolled out a new consumer-facing marketing campaign in an attempt to drive business to its members breweries after the holidays and during “dry January.” The campaign reveals two evolving trends for the BA; marketing directly to the consumer in an effort to drive more business to its members, and promoting the fact that member breweries offer more than just traditional beer
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Expert Topic Innovation in Brewing: A Conversation with Tomme Arthur
Tomme Arthur has been innovating so long in the craft space that he has innovated on his innovations. The brewer behind The Lost Abbey, he has inspired countless brewers and drinkers with his ales of note. Constantly pushing the envelope of flavor, time, and creativity, while staying rooted in history, his beer continue to win awards and the hearts of customers.
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News DSSOLVR Launches Collaboration Beer to Support Asheville’s Rebuilding
DSSOLVR, an Asheville-based craft brewery, has announced the release of Higher Calling, a nationwide collaborative project based on a Hazy IPA recipe brewed to support the rebuilding efforts of the Western North Carolina beer community in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
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News New SIBA Campaign in UK Allows Consumers to Identify Independent Craft Brewers
A new campaign in the UK, launched by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), includes a “brewery checker” tool to find out if a brewery is independently owned or owned by a “global company.”
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News Anderson Valley Wins ‘Fair Market Value’ Case Against Beer Wholesaler
Anderson Valley Brewing won a court case against Golden Brands Distributing, a subsidiary of Reyes Holdings, in which the definition and application of “fair market value” was contested. It is a case that puts some guardrails on just how far beer distributors can go when demanding to be paid for a brands distribution rights.
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Expert Topic Designed to Impress: Making Your Brewery a Welcoming Space
The era of simply owning a brewery and expecting people to walk through the doors because there is house-made beer on draft is over. Increased competition and a savvy and curious customer base means putting the customer experience front and center. From top to bottom.
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Expert Topic The Best Ways to Make Your Brewery Website Stand Out (and be Helpful)
Having a well built and easy to navigate website is critical for brewery owners. It’s the portal many will use to find your business, to learn about it, and to connect with your brand. To do it right, there are several things to keep in mind.
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Expert Topic Building a Better Merch Program
Merchandise has become an important part of a brewery’s business model. Once a logo has been designed and approved, many breweries have printed up shirts, hats, glassware and more to sell even before the first batch of beer is brewed. Once a brewery opens its doors, merchandise takes on a variety of roles. It can be a revenue generator, but it is also a consumer endorsement that they want to wear your brand outside of your walls and share your business with others.
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News Craft Beer Marketing Awards Announce 2024 Winners
The 2024 Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMAs) winners were announced recently in an online streamed ceremony. A total of 227 awards were presented in over 20 categories including seltzer, ready-to-drink cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, cider/mead and beer.
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News Hard Fought Franchise Reform Passes in Wyoming
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has signed Senate File 0079 (SF 0079), a franchise reform bill into law. The bill has been a long fought and negotiated compromise between the states beer wholesalers and craft brewers to provide some relief to small brewers when terminating a distributor.
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Sponsored “This is Native.” – Collaboration & the Art of Storytelling
Posted sponsored by Craft Beer Professionals
Skydance Brewing Co opened their downtown Oklahoma City brewery and taproom in fall 2021 with a lot of local buzz as a Native-owned craft brewery, but owner Jake Keyes felt his full story was not yet being told in their brand and sought to elevate the packaging of their core beers for stronger shelf appeal as they grew distribution.
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Selling Beer and Getting Tap Handles: Distribution Strategy and the “Tapline Mafia” aka Santa Cruz County Beer Distributors
I can’t believe it has been almost 20 years since my cousin Emily and her (then) husband Chad the homebrewer and I opened the doors of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, only the 3rd brewery in all of Santa Cruz County, California (there are 15 or so today). Emily and I grew up in the small mountain town of Ben Lomond, California home to redwoods, Henflings (a local biker bar next to the volunteer firehouse) and a strong community of hard working people. It is safe to say that during the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s when Emily and I grew up there were likely 2 tap handles at Henflings Bar: Bud and Bud Light. (back then Coors was a non-union brewery)
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Expert Topic Managing a Brewery’s Social Media Accounts
Managing the morass of social media apps can be anxiety inducing for even the average user. When it comes to running business social media accounts, however, the pressure ratchets up. Navigating different campaigns across a half-dozen or more idiosyncratic platforms can border on the absurd. There are tools and tricks to help you more effectively engage your audience online.
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News Chicago Brewseum Rebrands as ‘Beer Culture Center’ with Hopes to Expand
The Chicago Brewseum has officially rebranded itself to the Beer Culture Center. While the non-profit organization currently hosts in-person events at various locations along with virtual programs, their goal is to have a physical home where visitors can take in engaging, interactive exhibits profiling stories of beer history and culture around the world.
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Expert Topic Maintaining DEI Programs at Your Brewery
Building something takes time. Maintaining it takes effort. The past five years in the craft beer industry have been tumultuous, filled with constant challenges. Some have been unexpected, others long in the making. In response to societal changes and demands, the craft beer industry finally took a long overdue look at its hiring, consumer, and business practices and appeared to decide to take action. But as with many cultural movements inspired by current events and popular demands, sustaining that momentum into the future and to a point of real, consequential change requires attention and dedication.
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News Demand for Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Remains High – But Little Progress Made to Expand Privileges
Posted by Tom McCormick | 1 Comment on Demand for Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Remains High – But Little Progress Made to Expand Privileges
2024 saw little movement to expand access to DtC shipping of beer despite the efforts of state guilds to change state laws. Legislation was introduced in several states that would have given brewers permission to ship equal to what wineries currently enjoy, but no bill was ultimately successful.
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