Posts Tagged ‘beer’

Sam Adams Supporting Craft Brewing

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

I believe Sam Adams has been the most consistently meaningful beer marketer that I have come across. Last year I wrote about its launch of specially designed beer glasses that—at least in this beer drinker’s opinion—really do make the amber ale taste even better. Today I want to share some things I’ve learned about the company’s dedication to encouraging home- and craft-brew competitors.

As a subscriber to the Sam Adams email newsletter, I’ve had a chance to learn about its annual LongShot challenge among home brewers. It is an annual competition with judging events around the country that gives people the chance to have their beer mass produced in a special promotional six-pack. What I love about this contest is that it is much more than simply a “name our next flavor” or “make your own commercial” marketing promotion, which many brands have done with little personal engagement or connection to the product itself. Instead, this challenges the most dedicated brewers against each other and offers up the special reward of possibly seeing their years of investment pay off in peer admiration and distribution across the country.

My only disappointment is that Sam Adams doesn’t make the LongShot contest a bigger deal. After looking for the SKU in stores for years, I only just found it last weekend in a dusty corner of a local liquor store. There are actually three different winners in each six-pack: Cranberry Wit, Traditional Bock, and Double IPA (my favorite of the three with tons of citrus from the seven different types of hops). The Cranberry Wit was actually created by a Sam Adams employee, Carissa Sweigart. Giving employees the chance to participate is a pretty neat cultural build for the company. In total there were a little more than 1,300 entries from about 1,000 home brewers.

Last week I found another great story of Sam Adams support for small brewers. In a video at Fast Company I found an interview of Sam Adams founder Jim Koch. He tells the story of a recent national hops shortage, and how he ended up selling excess hops to competitive craft brewers who did not have access to this key ingredient. Koch put the reason simply: “They are my colleagues.”

The question is: Why would a mass marketer such as Sam Adams do small things like this that only touch a handful of their consumers? Where’s the scale, right? Well some might argue that these brilliant marketers realize that their positioning in the market as a legitimate microbrewer means that they must stay close to their roots and do things that the big players find too small. True, but I think Koch and his team are making these “small” efforts first and foremost because they want to. After all, Koch first brewed Sam Adams in his kitchen sink, and today they continue to behave like a bunch of passionate believers who want to make great-tasting beer. That’s just the easiest way to do the right thing for the business.

By sticking to their brand purpose and retaining a personal, hands-on engagement in the product, the marketing stuff comes naturally, and Sam Adams continues to be one of the best big brands in beer. Actually, with Anheuser-Busch’s takeover by foreign-based InBev, Sam Adams is now the largest American-owned brewery. I can think of no better beer representative for our country, and no better representative of where I hope our country’s brand marketing is heading next.

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Posted in Contests, purpose | 1 Comment »

A Tale of Three Ales: (3) Coors Light

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

(This is part three of a three-part series on beer companies that are building meaningful connections with their target consumers.)

In the past two posts I focused on challenger brands Sam Adams and Speight’s, both of which were built on creating close connections with a focused niche of consumers. But can big mega-brands with millions of diverse beer drinkers get in on the meaningful marketing game as well? I think a recent Coors Light campaign shows it is possible – but they have work left to do.

Coors Light recently launched a pretty interesting beer innovation – a “cold activated label” in which the mountains on the label turn from white to blue when the beer gets cold enough to drink. It’s a neat idea in a category that doesn’t get much innovation, and I think the focus on “cold” fits with the Coors Light equity in an ownable way (compared to, say, wide-mouth cans). The brand is supporting the new label with – you guessed it – a giant TV campaign. If you’re a sports fan you’ve likely been exposed to this copy dozens of times already, but if not take a gander here:

At first blush, it’s another amusing beer ad that is not especially meaningful. However, a deeper look shows some progress. A recent article in the New York Times announced that Coors Light is leveraging this ad idea to create a Facebook application that friends can use to send a “Code Blue” alert to friends and coordinate a place and time to escape from work. Coors Light has created other interesting applications on its website and MySpace page. There is a Happy Hour Locater, links to local city events, and an “Excuse-o-ator” widget that will provide you with rationale for leaving work early. All are tools that pass the Marketing with Meaning test: (1) consumers must choose to engage with them; and (2) there is a benefit even without buying the product.

Despite its progress, Coors Light is missing on a few levels. I think the biggest problem is that the 30-second ad is not truly integrated into the meaningful marketing. The TV ad does not tie into or drive viewers to the meaningful tools. C’mon, guys – there’s not even a URL at the end of the ad! We’ve seen this dozens of times with interactive work; the lead agency creates a commercial, and the client asks us to “build a digital link” after the fact. Tellingly, in the NYT article, the creative director at Draft FCB, Bill Lindsey, says that, “In this new world we live in, it’s something we’re learning to live with.” He doesn’t exactly sound thrilled to be in this new world, does he? Frankly, it is a pain in the ass to coordinate with outside agencies, and it’s much more work than AORs are used to. But the new world is here. Get used to it, and create better work. Going forward, brands must ensure that all advertising works together in a connected ecosystem – despite the lead agency insisting that it will kill the creative or take too much time.

Another big problem comes in the execution of the meaningful pieces of the program. Coors Light really should have figured out a way to use mobile (SMS) – as it is the communication tool of choice for coordinating party-goers. The article says it was not technically feasible, but we beg to differ. The Facebook application, which got such powerful buzz in this article, is nowhere to be found. Coors has purchased no Google AdWords to support consumers who are looking for its tools. And the user experience of tools such as the Happy Hour Locater is pretty poor; it feels slapped together (see Adrants‘ review of a banner ad).

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find data on the program in order to measure meaning or marketing results. But I did see that Coors Light share was up over the Memorial Day weekend. Despite a mixed execution, I’m excited to see this mass beer brand recognize the need to do something more than amuse its consumers with witty 30-second ads – and it is forcing its agencies to work together to improve. I believe the people who choose to engage with these Coors Light tools will build stronger loyalty to the brand. And the social element of the tools helps drive word-of-mouth at a minimal cost.

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Posted in Applications, Connection | 2 Comments »

A Tale of Three Ales: (2) Speight’s

Monday, July 7th, 2008

(This is part two of a three-part series on beer companies that are building meaningful connections with their target consumers. – updated with video 12/5/08))

By now I’ve talked about my trip to the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival so many times that I’m starting to feel guilty. But I do believe that each case study I share from the trip helps pay my financial and boondoggle debt to Bridge Worldwide, and to you, dear reader. Today I have a beer example that fits perfectly into this three-part series.

Next Up: Speight’s

You probably have never heard of Speight’s beer, even if, like me, you enjoy finding the most random beer brand in the cooler of The Party Source. Speight’s is actually a regional brew from the South… of New Zealand. According to Wikipedia, Speight’s markets itself as “the pride of the south” (who knew that there was a whole north/south thing in NZ, a country of only 4 million people?) and is the favorite beer of students at the University of Otago (which is known for a tradition of “couch burning” – not to be confused with bench burning at Duke University, my alma mater, after a big basketball win – but both happen to occur when large quantities of beer are consumed).

Enough of the trivia. According to marketing legend, the brand learned that fellow Kiwis in the UK missed their Speight’s beer. So in 2007 Speight’s launched “The Great Beer Delivery” – an actual working Speight’s Alehouse was strapped to the deck of a cargo ship. People in New Zealand applied online to accompany the vessel on a 24,000 kilometer trip to Samoa, Panama, the Bahamas, and New York City, before landing in London to thousands of thrilled – and thirsty – brand fans. The trip was covered by PR media in NZ and the UK for weeks as it made its way. It’s a brilliant idea and had brilliant results in terms of meaning and marketing.

I think the meaning here is pretty obvious: The brand connected itself with pride for the nation of New Zealand as it built a bridge between those in the home country and transplants in the UK who missed their mates. This reinforces the idea that beer can be a category that people closely identify with. So efforts to deepen that identification – or connection – are critical to success. A key measure of success is the number of people who chose to engage in the program: According to the brand, “6% of all New Zealand men” (I’m estimating more than 100,000 people) applied online to crew the floating bar.

The marketing results were also pretty impressive. The brand received millions of dollars of free PR for the effort. Speight’s regained its leadership share in the NZ market and drove a “double-digit increase in Brand Adoration… whilst all other mainstream beers declined.” Plus, it drove new distribution and sales in the UK.

The bonus benefit is the pride and fun that this event created for the employees and agency partners of Speight’s. How much more fun is launching a floating bar versus launching a 30-second ad? And, hey, you can even still win a Gold Lion!


The Speight’s Great Beer Delivery
Uploaded by hourigan

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Posted in Connection | 4 Comments »

A Tale of Three Ales: (1) Sam Adams

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

In the weeks and months ahead, I will use this space to more fully detail a model for meaningful marketing. One of the features of our model is a grouping of the kinds of meaning that brands can provide. We call one level of meaningful marketing “Connection.” Connection marketing brings consumers closer to brands on a deeper, emotional level. It can be entertainment, experiences, a creative outlet, or social interaction.

Perhaps no product category better exemplifies meaningful connections than beer. Beer brands – and alcohol brands in general – depend on forming personal bonds with the people who drink them. After all, the category does not fulfill a true “need,” we often make beer choices in a social setting, and we tend to form loyalty to brands that reflect who we are (or who we want to be). As a result, great beer marketing is meaningful when it connects us closer to the brand and to others who share the same mind-set.

Recently I’ve come across three examples of beer marketing that hold high meaning for the specific consumers they target. This is the first of a series of three posts on meaningful beer marketing.

First up: Sam Adams

Sam Adams represents a cross between mass and class. It is an “entry point” in the microbrew category that adds higher quality to the traditional mix of nationally advertised brands. The target is likely someone who believes in paying for quality and likes to try new things, but wants a drink that is consistently enjoyable.

A few months ago I personally joined the Sam Adams brand world by purchasing a set of glassware that is specifically designed to maximize the experience of drinking Sam Adams beer. Founder Jim Koch met with a maker of wine glasses and wondered if glassware could do for beer what it has done for wine: Improve the taste and experience. I was already a fan of the brand, but when I read about this glass in Fortune I had to have it. You can see in the diagram below that the glass has several features that are designed to bring out the best in this beer, including laser etching on the bottom that produces a steady stream of bubbles.

I spent $30 for a set of four branded glasses and couldn’t wait to test them out on my own. Sure enough, my experience was excellent. I really do believe that these beer glasses improve the taste experience of the beer – and I won’t use anything else in my basement bar. Further, whenever friends come over and I’m serving drinks, I cannot wait to pour them a Sam Adams into my special glasses so that they can test the taste for themselves. Net, I paid $30 to become an ultra-loyal advocate for Sam Adams. That’s meaningful marketing.

When purchasing these glasses I also chose to opt into the Sam Adams email newsletter. As a digital marketing strategist, I’ve seen a hell of a lot of email newsletters. Many lack focus and feeling – but Sam Adams delivers. The newsletters are focused on the art of craft beers. Of course, there is mention of new seasonal brews that are arriving from the brand. But there is a lot of space dedicated to education about beer ingredients and helpful tips for home brewers. In other words, Sam Adams is driving consumer interest in making their own beer instead of buying Sam Adams. It’s similar to my post a few days ago about Tylenol using ads to help solve headaches without buying the brand. Despite a small risk to lower sales from home brewing, this builds a passion around craft brews and a deeper connection with the Sam Adams brand. It also pays off later in the year with the “Long Shot” home brewing contest, in which two winners get their work turned into a seasonal six-pack. Who wouldn’t want to buy the best homebrew of the year?

Sam Adams deepens its connection to their consumers in the newsletter by introducing a human element. The newsletter is authored by employees Andrew and Bert (pictured below), and shows photos of other employees and brand fans throughout. The personal touch helps a giant mega-brand like Sam Adams still feel like a local microbrew. It even allowed me to instantly forgive the brand when it had a product recall that forced me to pour a few bottles down the drain.

In my next two posts I will share additional examples of meaningful connections in the beer category. In the meantime, pour yourself a cold one and ponder the possibilities for your business.

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Posted in Connection | 2 Comments »

Monday Randoms

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Brita joins the dark side

I’m back in the office today after a whirlwind week in Cannes, as seen in the daily posts below. Here are a few random thoughts:

More Meaning in Cannes

Jonah Bloom in Ad Age has a summary of his favorites from the show. Two that I should have featured myself are here:

  • “Lowe Bangkok’s “Torture Test” used a white T-shirt as an envelope for a direct-mail piece containing a sample of Unilever laundry detergent. Consumers’ addresses were written on the T-shirt, and by the time the T-shirts made it through the Thai postal system they were filthy — presenting a real stain-removal test for the recipient. An ingenious way to put the product at the center of the marketing and show faith in its efficacy.”
  • “Publicis Mojo Auckland’s effort for Speight’s beer played off the fact that New Zealanders in London had to do without their native ale. The agency put a Speight’s-serving pub on a boat that would sail around the world, via numerous ports, to England. It then ran a contest to find barmen who’d sail with the bar. Six percent of the male population of New Zealand applied for the job, and Speight’s regained its best-selling-beer slot in the country.”

Great Client Feedback

Last week I got a message from one of my Account leaders saying that her client actually built Marketing with Meaning into the brief for a big upcoming project! Apparently they were inspired by our Ad Age article and wanted to jump right in. Very, very cool and inspiring.

We’re a Best Place to Work – Again!

Finally, we just got an all-company email to announce that Bridge Worldwide has been named the #6 Best Small Company to Work For in America. This is our third consecutive year on the list and our highest ranking yet! Did I mention that we continue to hire? Why are we a great place to work, you ask? Tons of stuff. Meaningful marketing is one. Another is the fact that our people get together for events like the 48-hour film festival, which was sponsored by Bridge Worldwide. Check out our entry below – and, yeah, that’s me as Captain Bob…

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Posted in Awards, Clients | No Comments »