OnTap Magazine

GOING PRO It really is. Artists and craft brewers have a natural affinity. Visual artists are great to partner with for things like posters and beer labels. And let’s face it, a label done by a proper artist is so much better than the one your cousin did in MS Paint. But it goes beyond the visual arts. Consider how you might collaborate with other artists like musicians, dancers, writers, and the like. Musos can help with events, dancers the same. Writers can help you do a professional job of that magazine write-up, or make sure your labels and posters don’t commit grammatical crimes. Apart from supporting local talent, you can share audiences, which will only benefit your business. Even if there weren’t marketing benefits to gain (and there are), I’d still want you to put something back into the community. Why? Because craft breweries are ultimately small businesses that depend on goodwill from locals. Also, it’s the right thing to do. Where to start? Well, the best place is with you, the brewer. What social Here’s to more marketing, and more beer sales, more of the time. Cheers! S T R A T E G Y MARKE T I NG 04 S T R A T E G Y MARKE T I NG 05 ART IS A WONDERFUL THING DO SOME GOOD Important caveat: Please don’t offer artists “exposure” as payment. Remember that you’re as likely as they are to benefit from the collaboration. Also: exposure does a surprisingly poor job of paying the rent. So be prepared to pay cold hard cash. Or cold beer. But probably cash. causes are you passionate about? Maybe it’s animal rescue, or the youth, or sea rescue. Whatever the cause, you can use your super-powers as a craft brewer to help out. For instance, why not run a limited edition brew where part of the profit goes to your cause? It’s also fun to use your creativity to see how a beer could be branded to raise awareness for the cause you’re supporting (pro tip: keep it light and don’t sermonise). Even if you don’t believe in the whole what goes around, comes around idea, doing something for a good cause will make you (and your employees) feel just that little bit better about coming to work at 4am on a Sunday. bevplus water ADVERT ONTAP.indd 1 2018/02/15 2:46:24 PM