6 Clever Distillery & Brewery Marketing Tactics
Smaller breweries and distilleries (and sometimes, combinations of the two) are uniquely positioned in that they craft commonly-consumed products in uncommon packages. The quality of the drinks themselves are typically higher and less prevalent than those from major beer and liquor brands. They also have some amount of leverage in the market, in that their products are more specialized. But these smaller brands also may have trouble expanding and marketing their products to larger markets.
So, here are six distillery or brewery marketing tactics to help set your brand apart.
Establish Your Brand Culture
What complements your boozy beverages best? Food? Music? Social events? Sports? A great way to expand your products’ relevance is to associate the culture of your brand with another popular subculture. For example, the popular Blue Moon Brewing Company has an entire section of their website dedicated to food recipes that both utilize and pair well with Blue Moon beers. Consumers who feel that they identify with the culture of your brand are not only more likely to buy your products, but are also more likely to become loyal regulars. The key to this and all the rest of these marketing tips is creating a brand that is one-of-a-kind.
Build a Website, Boast a Blog
A fresh, vibrant website that matches the culture and identity of your brand will be a place for your customers to land, exploring your offerings and having something to share with their friends as they reference that great beer of yours. One thing that consumers also appreciate is content that they can learn from and share. Give this to them by creating a blog and keeping it updated with both interesting and educational stories. Through your blog, you can share more information about your brand, give backstories to your products and team, update your customer base on industry trends, and more. A great website and consistent blog are essential for digital visibility and search engine optimization (SEO), which are key to marketing your brewery or distillery online.
Do Social the Right Way
Everyone knows social media is the place to be as a business, but not all businesses do it well. We’ve got a few tips for running your beverage brand’s social pages. Grow your online following by linking to your social channels everywhere—on your website, in blog posts, on your product packaging/labels, in emails, and anywhere else you can fit. Pick a memorable, versatile hashtag, and then encourage your followers to use it when sharing photos of your products, events, or locations. You can encourage hashtag use through contests and giveaways, planned campaigns, social influencers, and more. Social is also another space where you can further establish your brand identity and culture—make sure you are posting appropriate things and tracking the analytics to see how things are performing.
Social media prompts constant word-of-mouth expansion if utilized well. If this sounds like a lot to take on, then consider a marketing agency like Herban Creative.
Think Local
If you’re a smaller brand, then you shouldn’t ignore the small steps in your marketing strategy either. Holding events in your local community, partnering with local stores and restaurants to distribute your products, and becoming a household name in every household within five miles of you should be a priority. This can involve anything from local SEO tactics to spiffing up your location so that people want to come in for tours and snag awesome tasting deals and experiences. Start local so your hometown friends can take you farther.
Use Guerilla Tactics
Guerilla marketing involves marketing tactics that don’t initially appear to be marketing. For example, if you table at a local street fair, you can give out free merchandise like custom t-shirts or koozies that your fans will carry with them to become walking billboards or brand ambassadors.
Communicate with Your Regulars
An area of marketing that refuses to die is email, which is still heavily used and effective, even today. For your existing fans, especially those who may be regular buyers, be sure to offer an email newsletter to keep them updated on new products, events, and offers. In these emails, you can keep your customers loyal, engaged, and sharing with retargeting, discounts, and social media integration.
Running a brewery or distillery takes a lot of sustained effort, and so does marketing it. If you want help on the marketing side, Herban Creative has the expertise to help on all of these fronts so that you can continue doing what you love: brewing the best beers and distilling the best spirits. Contact our team today about how we can help with web design, branding, and integrated digital marketing.
