Each of us has been disappointed by under-the-cap contests hundreds of times in our lives. I specifically remember being a kid and collecting Coke caps in a contest that awarded a grand prize if you spelled something like “Coke Is It.” My favorite contest as a kid was with McDonald’s during the 1984 Olympics - the Soviets are out and everyone’s a winner!

It’s debatable whether such contests are truly meaningful. My guess is that, like most advertising tactics that have been overdone, people are mainly immune to the long-shot odds afforded by such contests. Meanwhile, people are outsmarting the contests and sharing how with everyone thanks to the Internet.

The other day I heard a fresh take on under-the-cap contests from Comedian Mitch Hedberg. Enjoy:

“I opened up a yogurt; underneath the lid it said, ‘Please try again,’ because they were having a contest I was unaware of. But I thought I might have opened the yogurt wrong. Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me. ‘Come on Mitchell, don’t give up! Please try again.’ A message of inspiration from your friends at Yoplait: fruit on the bottom, hope on top.”

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.