Beer Branding Strategy

How Do You Decide What Beer to Drink?

Think back to the last time you purchased a six-pack from your local liquor store. When you were browsing the fridges scanning all the different options to choose from, what was the defining factor in making your decision? The Brandsmen have been in this position many times and we find it to be a common conversation among craft beer enthusiasts. There are a plethora of factors that can influence a craft beer purchase, and with heightened competition in the industry, beer branding strategy is more important than ever before.

Beer Branding Strategy

Here are some of the factors that tend to influence how a consumer chooses what beer to drink:

• Sale Price: Regardless of all other factors, beer that is on sale has a major influence when choosing which craft beer to purchase.
• Personal Recommendation: People trust their friend’s opinions, especially when it comes to beer.
• Beer Festival: For good reason, craft beer festivals are extremely popular. It’s a fantastic way for brewers to show off their quality brews. If they enjoyed it at a festival and can remember the name of the beer, there’s a chance that it could impact which craft beer their buy.
• Package & Bottle Label Design: The power of beer packaging is frequently understated. The reality of the craft beer world today is that there are more awesome choices than ever. Just producing ‘good beer’ is no longer good enough for the masses. The branding needs to be just as strong as the product.

• Beer Rating Website: Reading reviews has become standard behavior in the purchase of almost everything these days. If your beer rates were on websites like Ratebeer or BeerAdvocate, drinkers will notice.
• Social Media Post: There is an enormous social media movement taking place that many people call ‘Beer Porn.’ Check out the #BeerPorn Instagram Feed. Whether it’s a new beer you are trying, or a beer being consumed in a beautiful setting, showing off your brew is a very popular activity.
• Advertisement: There’s a massive number of ways to advertise beer. From sponsoring events to purchasing targeted Facebook ads, if there’s a will there’s a way to purchase the public’s attention.
• Online Search: This is a growing factor in craft beer purchasing behavior. Public knowledge about beer styles is increasing more and more every day. A consumer often already has a style in mind when they go to purchase craft beer. A localized search for a certain beer style, for example ‘best IPA in Denver’ is becoming a common way to obtain information about local product.

Influencing Craft Beer Drinkers

Drinking craft beer appeals to a diverse range of social groups, and is becoming more popular every single day. At the same time, the number of craft breweries is in the USA growing at an astounding rate. The competition can make it tough for new craft breweries to make an impact, but if they do the rewards are getting better and better. While brewing delicious and unique beer is still currently, and should always remain a priority in the industry, creating an effective beer branding strategy has becoming crucial. A memorable name, logo, or overall brand feel can influence purchase behavior, recommendations, and ratings for craft breweries.

Think of a popular craft beer that is well respected by craft beer geeks all across the country. Our choice would be ‘Pliny the Elder’ by Russian River Brewing Company. While the Brandsmen are located in Denver, Colorado, this is still a very popular and often discussed beer in our area. When Pliny finds its way to our state it always makes an impact. People will put their names on lists to purchase the Double IPA, or even wait in line for fresh kegs to be tapped. Now there is no question that this is a fantastic beer. The Brandsmen are big fans of Pliny and most of what Russian River creates. That being said, we don’t think that’s the only reason this beer has become so well-known among craft beer drinkers.

In our opinion, there are 3 factors that contributed to Pliny the Elder’s success.

1. The Beer: Pliny the Elder exemplifies the West Coast, high gravity IPA style. It is delicious and should be experienced by all.
2. The Name: Pliny the Elder was a Roman philosopher. His achievements have nothing to do with the name being popular for a beer. It sounds cool, it’s easy to remember, and there are no other beers named like it.
3. Restriction in Distribution: Rare is trendy and people like things that are hard to get. Limiting distribution to huge craft beer markets like Colorado was a wise choice.

What’s outside of the bottle is almost as important as what’s inside.

For this reason, beer branding strategy is more important than ever. The Brandsmen are passionate about the beer industry and our objective is to help breweries grow. Contact a Brandsmen today if you need assistance with digital branding for your brewery.