Marketing a Brewery: Brewery Marketing Strategies

For breweries, it is a crowded marketplace. Male-dominated traditional beer marketing strategies no longer work. While other businesses have adapted their marketing strategies, breweries need new ways to engage with customers. The growth of the industry has shown no signs of slowing which has led to a dramatic increase in competition. The competition may have increased, but so have the tools available for effective marketing. Given below are tips that would help breweries to develop a strong marketing strategy.

Leverage social media platforms

Customers follow brands on social media because they want to stay on top of event news and get familiar with the culture behind a brand. The social media platform of a brewery should have unique content. Shots of the latest canned variety may not suffice. Photographs of the brewery space or people who work behind the scenes could be used. No matter what type of content is used, it should stay true to the aesthetic of a brand. Product shots are great but there could also be some fun posts on industry news. Alcohol-related hashtags can also help a brand to trend online.

Partner with other businesses

A brewery can consider collaborating with other businesses. A local business such as a restaurant may not stock the beer but they may team up with the brewery for fundraisers and other events. A product that is associated with a popular global franchise can always generate sales. For instance, Shmaltz brewing company started their Star Trek-themed ale and called it Captain’s Holiday. Fans of Star Trek could identify the images of Star Trek that were used on the packs. Such strategies help to spread awareness and create new fans.

Email marketing

Where email marketing is concerned, it is important to choose the right kind of campaigns and send the right message. Email marketing is a cost-effective strategy and helps to remind customers about latest products and events and other important news. Coupon codes can be offered for sign ups. The same message does not have to be sent to the entire customer base. The target customers can be segmented into different categories such as brew club members and members that live close to a certain brewery location. Customers can then be sent relevant offers based on their activity and location. An email list has to be built and that can start with customers who have already given their mail. Customers can then be informed about tour options and from where they can purchase beer.

Build relationships with influencers

Breweries partnering with influencers is a new trend. Influencers can post about breweries on their social media platforms in exchange for products and deals. They can review products and offer their followers discount codes. For instance, Guinness uses influencer marketing tactics. Celebrities and micro-influencers have helped to diversify the brand’s partnerships. There are influencers called beer influencers who their followers consider to be experts when it comes to recommending beer. For instance, David Heath offers tips on fermentation and canning on YouTube. Ryan Milligan is also popular as he tries samples from local breweries and uses quality photos on his social media posts.

Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the United States.

With over 20 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and well-respected Public Relations professionals.