The New Age of Brewery Marketing

BY DAVID NUTTALL

To say the least, the last couple of years have proved challenging for most of society, and the brewing industry is no exception.

Whatever was normal in 2019 was decimated when the COVID pandemic and the restrictions that followed hit in 2020, throwing everyone into situations they had never been in before. Even coming out of the pandemic in 2022, the world’s economies were hit by high inflation, employment issues, the fallout of an unexpected war in Europe, and multiple social issues.

Brewing is just one of many industries affected. So what do things look like for 2023? While it is difficult to be absolutely sure of everything, there are certain factors that point to where things are headed. One of the best places to get a peek into what’s seminal to brewing is at conferences and conventions. A case in point is the Alberta Craft Brewing Convention held last October in Red Deer. This annual gathering of brewery and industry workers had not happened since March 2019, so the 3½-year gap made this year’s event seem like a homecoming of sorts.

Normally, conventions like this feature exhibitors showcasing new product lines, seminars exploring relevant topics, and social events where industry types get together and catch up with each other. While the Red Deer convention had all that, it also was a chance to review a significant period in Alberta brewing and try to forecast what lies ahead.

With so many unexpected events having happened since 2019, much more emphasis was placed on how breweries need to adjust to changing times, and what they need to focus on going forward. Although many topics were highlighted at the conference, one area was mentioned in several seminars: how craft breweries can improve their marketing.

It used to be much simpler to start a brewery. Get a business plan, raise the financing, find a location, build a brewery, hire staff, make beer, and promote as much as you can, often through social media. While all that is still applicable, much more has arisen recently. No one had dealing with a worldwide pandemic and what to do with government enforced closures in their business plans pre-2020.

Breweries literally had to rewrite their business model to adjust to not having any walk-in customers and losing the bulk buyers of their product such as restaurants, bars, and liquor stores. Without normal sales streams, breweries needed to be creative. Taproom remodeling, constructing patios, incorporating e-commerce, even adding canning lines were employed to help allay some of the losses being incurred by closures. Breweries also needed to learn to liaise with governments to fast-track approvals and to up their social game to reach customers who couldn’t come into a brewery.

Going forward, breweries are learning to expand how they attract and communicate with customers. One topic discussed was “Working Towards Inclusion”. Breweries have to look not only at ownership and whom they employ, but also how to make their locations more inviting and accessible to all. Diversity includes more than just women and different racial minorities getting involved as employees and entrepreneurs, but also making their taprooms more accessible for all types of people, including the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community and even for all age groups, as these locations are becoming more family friendly. This may also require breweries to promote themselves as places for events such as game and trivia nights, live music and comedy, beer camps, special speakers or other readings, educational seminars and other happenings that will draw in customers.

Mass marketing is also growing throughout the province. Travel Alberta and other associations such as Tourism Calgary and Explore Edmonton have been there for years. Debuting last year was the Highway 3 Ale Trail, and later in 2023, the Alberta Ale Trail (albertaaletrail.ca) will be introduced.

Breweries in smaller centres need to promote themselves as a destination, the same as any other landmark. In larger locales, brewery districts have worked in several cities, and the success of the Barley Belt in Calgary and the (soon to be two-year-old) Happy Beer Street in Edmonton proves that breweries collaborating together and with other partners, can create their own brand. These areas also work with public tour companies and pedal pubs, which are gearing up for the return of a full year of tourist visits.

The next big challenge for small breweries is how to attract the younger generation, who are proving to be completely different drinkers than their parents. Not only do they consume less alcohol, but they also have little brand loyalty and jump around between drink categories, making them difficult targets for advertisers. Breweries that brew only beer are alienating a whole slew of customers, and that has forced them to become more creative in their product line. Ciders, sodas, hard teas and seltzers, non-alcoholic beer and even pre-made cocktails are all finding their way onto taproom menus. This is changing the definition of what a brewery is, and that is something we will examine next month.

David has worked in liquor since the late 1980s. He is a freelance writer, beer judge, speaker, and since 2014, has run Brew Ed monthly beer education classes in Calgary. Follow @abfbrewed.