OnTap Magazine

WHAT IS EXPERIENCE &WHY DOYOU NEED IT? Ever noticed howmass-market beer adverts are about everything except the beer itself? Instead of emphasizing the flavour of their beer (or perhaps the brewer who created it), macro breweries would have us believe that drinking their beer will result in enhanced sex appeal, better and more attractive friends, and perhaps a celebrity showing up to play table tennis with you. Yes, the big players and their big advertising budgets might seem a little intimidating, but there's one advantage a craft brewer has that no amount of money canever purchase. That is the ability toeasily create an authentic, fan-centric experience. No matter how much money they spend, the mass-market beer producers cannot change (1) the taste of their beer, and (2) the fact that the consumer will likely never, ever meet the brewer of the beer (nor in most cases go to the brewery for that matter). Both these facts are massive (and I mean massive ) aces up the craft brewer's sleeve. Here's how to use them to create awesome beer experiences. Because mass-market producers tend to all make the same styles of beer (e.g. lagers), they have a tough time differentiating themselves from one another. Hence the need to spend millions of dollars on getting the latest movie star to appear in their advert or on their billboard. As a craft brewer, you can't afford that sort of thing, but nor should you feel any pressure to do so. Why? Because you are brewing awesome, interesting beer. You can produce pages of writing, and hours of video and audio content on just one of your production beers, not to mention the special editions and seasonals. And you should. All the time. Write biographies of your beers on your website, post about their unique flavour profiles and food-pairings on your social media accounts, and shoot a video of you drinking your new creations and talking about how you made them. Don't get side-tracked or try to copy big brand marketing. Your fans aren't interested in a bogus story of how your beer was first brewed back in the 1800s (unless it's true). They also don't need to see a famous face or celebrity next to a bottle of your suds. Just you, the brewer, and your beers will do just fine. Maybe your dog too. Big brand breweries are global. As a result, their marketing strategies tend to be generic and bland. But as a craft brewer, you don't have to play that game. Whether you have a small brewpub in a picturesque little town somewhere in the Karoo, or perhaps a production brewery on an industrial estate in Jozi, don't ignore the local nature of your beer. Going local means creating touchpoints between your brand and the local community you are part of. It doesn't need to be boring or stereotypical, either. Just because you're a country-style brewpub in a small village doesn't mean that you have to promote a good-ol' fashioned, homestyle, country-bumpkin brand image. If you're into sci-fi and want to have a brand filled with aliens and space rangers, go right ahead. Just make sure that those aliens sometimes kidnap some local farmer's cows and that the space rangers are rumoured to have a secret base underneath the town magistrate's office. Going local also means connecting and partnering with like-minded folks in your area, anything from a local artist to decorate your tasting room, to local crafters who can build you a neat bar countertop or provide shade for your patrons. Local-centrism extends beyond just furnishings. Get in touch with your neighbourhood food truck or caterer, and see how they can help you provide eats that pair well with your beer. Speak to local music venues or check our sites like Soundcloud to identify bands that can provide music for your next event (see below for more on that one). So, why is going local important? For one, you're likely to make new friends, people who might help you when you most need it. For another, it grounds your beer and your brand in the community and connects with your local super-fans. And these are the folks who will keep on buying your beer even when times are tough. LET'S UNPACK THAT TERM, "EXPERIENCE”. EMPHASIZE YOUR BEER. ALL THE TIME. 1 GO LOCAL. IN A BIG WAY. 2 Lately, large beer festivals have been somewhat rare. But you needn't wait for the festival gears to start turning again. Instead, see your brewery or brewpub as an ongoing festival of beer: • Host mini-fests on weekends or public holidays where you showcase some of your new brews (and invite local bands and food trucks as mentioned above). • Just like festivals offer patrons a commemorative glass, consider gifting some branded stemware to your most loyal customers. Also, have some for sale anyway. Ditto for YOUR BREWERY AS A BEER FESTIVAL 3 46 | Autumn 2022 | ontapmag.co.za