There was a time when the craft brewers were all about inclusiveness and kindness to their fellows. Back then, craft beer was so new and appealing, virtually every brand was growing. Often, demand exceeded supply. "Marketing" meant picking a funny brand name and some sort of odd graphic for your label. Heck, almost anyone could have been a successful craft-beer marketer back then.
Standing out means standing... for something
Nowadays, craft beer is no longer posting easy, heady growth numbers. Many large craft brands are declining. And that means real competition has arrived. Say goodbye to the days of "we're all in this crazy craft beer business together" bonhomie. To grow now, a craft brand needs to take business away from another craft brand. That calls for marketing; for deciding on what basis you'll sell your brand as better and distinctive versus the others. And here's where craft brewers, many new to marketing, have run into difficulty.
A few years back, when Budweiser launched its "Made the Hard Way" ads on the Super Bowl making fun of many craft beer selling points. Pumpkin-peach flavor, "sipping," and the like. In response, a group of craft beers funded a spoof-ad response. Take a look...
Standing out means standing... for something
Nowadays, craft beer is no longer posting easy, heady growth numbers. Many large craft brands are declining. And that means real competition has arrived. Say goodbye to the days of "we're all in this crazy craft beer business together" bonhomie. To grow now, a craft brand needs to take business away from another craft brand. That calls for marketing; for deciding on what basis you'll sell your brand as better and distinctive versus the others. And here's where craft brewers, many new to marketing, have run into difficulty.
A few years back, when Budweiser launched its "Made the Hard Way" ads on the Super Bowl making fun of many craft beer selling points. Pumpkin-peach flavor, "sipping," and the like. In response, a group of craft beers funded a spoof-ad response. Take a look...
What's interesting about this video is that it presents the many characteristics that craft beers share. Yes, it does show how, as a group, the crafts are distinctive relative to Budweiser. But it also shows how as individual brands, they're all very much alike. Claims like "full flavor," "brewed by hand,"and "lots of styles," or visual depictions of ingredients, bearded brewers, funky brewery location, copper kettles and the like simply do not differentiate one craft brand from another. So, if you're out to sell your craft beer over another, how will you stand out?
Ballast Point was just like lots of craft brewers
Like many craft brewers, Ballast Point enjoyed a good deal of early success largely on the strength of brewing very good beers. The San Diego-based brand grew rapidly, ultimately attracting the interest of Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, etc.) who purchased the small craft brewer for a staggering $1 billion price. Timing is everything. Very little time passed until Ballast Point was suffering from the proliferation of craft brands. The easy money was no longer easy. The brand stalled, and then began declining.
Choosing a selling strategy means choosing not to pursue many others. To succeed, Ballast Point needed marketing to establish a distinctive premise, one to set them apart from other craft brands. One that would appeal to a great many craft-beer shoppers. Said another way, Ballast Point needed to be, not just a craft beer brand, but a craft beer brand that stood for something.
Marketing = selling
In a classic marketing move no doubt driven by Constellation's marketing team, Ballast Point placed their bet on offering an exceptional flavor experience. "What's distinctive about that?" you ask. The distinctiveness comes from the explicit statement--the "reason why" in marketing speak--supplied to support the implicit "We taste best" claim. And while craft brewers often turn their noses up at mainstream marketing, this "rated best" claim is one that has worked in countless competitive categories...
Ballast Point was just like lots of craft brewers
Like many craft brewers, Ballast Point enjoyed a good deal of early success largely on the strength of brewing very good beers. The San Diego-based brand grew rapidly, ultimately attracting the interest of Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, etc.) who purchased the small craft brewer for a staggering $1 billion price. Timing is everything. Very little time passed until Ballast Point was suffering from the proliferation of craft brands. The easy money was no longer easy. The brand stalled, and then began declining.
Choosing a selling strategy means choosing not to pursue many others. To succeed, Ballast Point needed marketing to establish a distinctive premise, one to set them apart from other craft brands. One that would appeal to a great many craft-beer shoppers. Said another way, Ballast Point needed to be, not just a craft beer brand, but a craft beer brand that stood for something.
Marketing = selling
In a classic marketing move no doubt driven by Constellation's marketing team, Ballast Point placed their bet on offering an exceptional flavor experience. "What's distinctive about that?" you ask. The distinctiveness comes from the explicit statement--the "reason why" in marketing speak--supplied to support the implicit "We taste best" claim. And while craft brewers often turn their noses up at mainstream marketing, this "rated best" claim is one that has worked in countless competitive categories...
Simple. Clever. Understated. Honest. Most of all, distinctive.
Will this "close to perfect" distinctiveness claim based on Beer Advocate ratings bring every craft-beer drinker to Ballast Point?
Wrong question.
Will it make Ballast Point stand out in a crowded marketplace and, as a result, win more than its share of buying decisions?
Bet on it.
Will this "close to perfect" distinctiveness claim based on Beer Advocate ratings bring every craft-beer drinker to Ballast Point?
Wrong question.
Will it make Ballast Point stand out in a crowded marketplace and, as a result, win more than its share of buying decisions?
Bet on it.
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