How To Market Craft Beer? – Here’s Our Full Guide!

Beer is everywhere: at home, in bars, at festivals, parties, in movies and in TV shows, at sports, and at outdoor events! We even have a beer beach! It brings people together and brings joy to any event. And we love to drink it… A LOT of it – Americans drink so much that it consistently ranks as the #1 alcoholic beverage sold in the country, with a market share of 42 percent (41 percent for spirits and 16 percent for wines). Americans love their beer, and the numbers show it – we drink 2.87 million 2.25 gallon cases, or 182 million beer barrels, in just one year.

The beer selection for Christmas! #Christmasvibes #ChristmasVacation #weekendvibes #beer #craftbeer #brewing pic.twitter.com/duEFeI1cN7

— undertherosebrewing.com (@undertherosebre) December 25, 2023

The beer market is huge in dollar value – it’s valued at about $115.4 billion, according to data from the Brewers Association website. Of this, $28.4 billion is the craft beer market, which is steadily growing as of 2022, when it grew by 6 percent.

Quick fact: Beer is produced in one of the about 8,000 breweries in the country. Of these, 78 are considered national breweries (breweries that make over 6 million barrels per year). There are 216 regional breweries, producing 15,000 to 6 million barrels annually. The rest are microbreweries that make under 15,000 barrels per year. For instance, Colorado has 440 microbreweries, California has 957, Washington has 448, Pennsylvania has 531, and Texas has 407. There are 9,552 craft breweries, including 3,838 taproom breweries, 3,418 brewpubs, 2,035 microbreweries, and 261 regional craft breweries.

Marketing Craft Beer

Marketing beer is a huge business. The entire beer marketing industry is valued at $1.6 billion (ginger and root beer not included). The big national brewers, like Miller-Coors and Anheuser-Busch spend 93 percent of that number. As you can see, the small local craft brewers are just a blip on the radar. So what can they do? How to market craft beer?

Let’s start with the basics – the consumers. Craft beer consumers are completely different when compared to the average beer drinker in the United States. Millennials living in urban areas are the primary consumer segment for craft beer. These are the people that have a huge buying power, want a high-quality beer that is produced locally and are not fans of traditional advertising. 

They are looking for something different (remember beer balls?) – and craft beer is precisely what they want. According to millennials, craft beer is a beer that small, independent companies brew, is high-quality, and is local. Consumers place massive importance on beer variety, flavor options, seasonal products, draught beers (as opposed to bottled or canned beers), and beers that are designed to complement certain foods or dishes. There’s another thing – craft beer is usually consumed at social events, gatherings, and parties, not at home, like commercial beers.

Millennials also respond differently to marketing. They love online or social media marketing. If your beer has a social media presence, it’s good, very good. 40 percent of consumers responded positively to the statement, “if the beer is on social media, I like it more”. Similarly, 62 percent of consumers love it when their favorite brand engages with them on social media. These numbers are important because that’s how craft beer brands can build a loyal base of repeat customers.

Non-millennials, like Boomers and Gen X-ers, are also crucial for the craft beer market. These consumers have more money and are less interested in price – they want the best beer they can find, but they are more loyal to a specific brand. While 75 percent of millennials buy craft beers, they never heard of before, only 60 percent of non-millennials are interested in doing the same. Non-millennials also tend to drink beer at home, not at events, breweries, or pubs. 

How To Market Craft Beer? 

How do you get more people to taste your craft beer? How do you market your beer on a small budget or virtually no budget? There are tens of thousands of different beer styles on the market – how do you stand out? 

Our complete guide includes the best 20 tips on how to market your craft beer. Want to know how to market craft beer? Here’s the ultimate guide – the ONLY guide you will EVER need! Let’s start:

#1 – Have Excellent Branding

Focus on careful branding, determine the beer style you want to create, the story behind it, the colors, and the feelings, and create a vision and future for your brand.

Craft drinkers are complex creatures – they are experimenters and explorers in the realm of spirits, beer, and wine. They want to jump from flavor to flavor, explore multiple varieties, and see what blends with their personality. Your brand should do exactly the same! Create a beer that speaks to your customers, use flagship beers to create a powerful brand, and explore other flavors constantly. Study trends, both on a national and local level. Heck, explore even imported beers; what are other craft brewers doing in Belgium or Germany? You should always be on point. 

What you should never do: don’t sell mediocre beer just because it may be trendy or because it sells during this season. Your consumers will immediately notice the drop in quality and will never come back. Yes, craft drinkers are fickle and hate fake brands looking out for profits. It’s almost misleading – don’t do it!

The Name and Slogan

Here is everything that helps people identify your brand: the name, the quotes, the labels, the colors, the logos, the cans, the bottles, and everything else. What’s particular about your beer? What sets it apart? Is it something memorable? Something controversial? Does it shock consumers? Does it make them laugh? Is it a humorous title or quote? 

Making a statement is important, even in the beer niche, because people remember it, and it’s something you can build your brand on. Don’t pick a very, very trendy name. Don’t pick something offensive. Keep in mind that the name, logo, and most of the identity are like a tattoo – it’s forever, and it’s very difficult to change. Pick something that stands the test of time and makes you proud in a few decades. 

The Colors, Design, and Logo

Here is the perfect occasion to really set your brand apart from your competition. It’s the place where you can be creative, and there are basically no limits. Be careful with fonts; choose something that is easy to read, has an impact, and confirms your style. For colors, do the legwork and see what other brewers are doing. Open up the Pantone book or other color guides. Explore various color schemes, combinations, and contrasts. Test what you like, test, test, and test even more. Ask your friends if they like it, listen to their opinions, and explore even more colors! After choosing the color scheme, it’s time to focus on the logo – this is where the sky’s the limit. You can go for something humorous, historic, suggestive, descriptive, or simple geometrical patterns. Just make sure you choose something that looks great on a t-shirt, a hat, a growler, or on your beer truck. Your logo will be everywhere, so choose something people can relate to! 

Not sure about what your colors, design, and logo should look like? Hire a professional! Fortunately, there are many professional designers that can help you!

#2 – Social Media

This is the perfect marketing avenue for any craft beer! Why? Because your audience is on social media and loves interacting with their favorite craft beer brand. Yes, the idea is to become “their favorite craft beer brand” – and social media is the perfect environment to do that.

Social media platforms are surprisingly different – you will get a very different audience on Twitter (or X), Instagram, Pinterest, or on Facebook. Ideally, you should be on all of them to get the best results and more visibility. What’s more, your customers will easily stay on top of the latest news and products you may launch. You can also build your brand and story on social media – a weekly episode about your company, your team, or your story is an awesome idea!

Similarly, you can organize and promote special offers, contests, prizes, games, and a plethora of other interactive events on social media platforms. Quizzes, market studies, and general questions about your products, brand, and future events are also excellent ideas to try on social media. You can also connect with social media influencers who can promote your beer. It’s the perfect way to connect with your consumers and make your opinions known!

#3 – Content Marketing

Content marketing is all about creating and promoting content about your craft beer and show it to the world. It’s a great way to build brand awareness for your craft beer business, attract new customers, and strengthen brand loyalty among existing customers. It’s also the perfect way to provide information to your customers and followers. 

• Blogs and articles – this is where you can tell the story of your brand, explain how you built the brand, what it brings to consumers; you can write about the craft beer niche in general, explain statistics, trends, news, and what they mean for your brand; it helps people see that your brand is more than just beer, it’s a story told by professionals; a blog also helps you immensely with online visibility, as search engines love it, and you will rank higher in Google; this means more potential consumers to your craft beer business, for free!
• Videos, podcasts, and live streams – are probably the best ways to show consumers who is behind the craft beer they enjoy; you can get closer to your audience, interact with them directly via question-and-answer sessions, live streams, and podcasts; do regular monthly or weekly show to really connect with your audience;
• behind the scenes and how it’s made – these can be special types of content where you take your audience to the brewery and explain everything behind the scenes – how you make the beer, what is included, how you bottle or can it, and many other types of information

#4 – Traditional Media

Marketing your craft beer in traditional media can be very expensive, but you still have to dip your toes in it, as it can bring you A LOT of visibility. TV and radio ads are prohibitively expensive, so we won’t even focus on them (though some late-night TV or radio stations may offer good prices). Instead, we will focus on newspapers and magazines. Local publications may be quite open to new breweries, especially if your beer is special and brings something different to the market. Think outside the box – go for local publications that are focused on food, drinks, events, or sports. Many areas still have these magazines and newspapers, and prices are usually low for a small ad.

#5 – Partnering With Other Local Businesses

In the craft beer industry, word-of-mouth is still an excellent marketing strategy. And what is better than partnering up with local businesses that are interested in your product? Reach out to local restaurants, pubs, and special events businesses. Think out of the box and contact local manufacturing or production companies – they may be interested in offering your product to their employees. 

Even if these companies are not interested directly in your product (and don’t want to sell your craft beer), they may still be interested in special events or fundraisers. Having a partner is always easier – your beer will be out there, and people will see you as part of a team. Another idea is to consider offering free beer as donations to fundraisers, events, and gatherings to make your brand known.

#6 – Expand Your Line Of Products – Launch Seasonal Products

Craft beer drinkers love the variety! They are open to virtually everything that is beer – so why don’t you take advantage of this openness to trying new beer? Expand your offer with new beers and new flavors, experiment with your recipes, and see what works and what doesn’t. However, don’t launch mediocre beer, as craft beer drinkers are really focused on this aspect. Quality should always be a priority in the craft beer sector.

Launching seasonal beers is another amazing idea to attract attention to your craft beer business. Seasonal and short-term batches are extremely popular with craft beer lovers, as it creates a type of scarce marketing (you only get this beer during the summer, so get it now!). Seasonal beers are also good because you can explore even more with various flavors. For instance, you can add flavors that otherwise would never be present in your beers! What if you add the cherry puree to an otherwise very bitter lager? 

#7 – Be Active In Your Local Community

How to market craft beer? Local craft beer is all about being active in your community. It’s about being active locally and being present at events. And every community has multiple events on any given weekend. Outdoor festivals, fairs, food truck parks, open museum days, shows, concerts, or something in-between. Just be on the lookout; something special is definitely going on, even in small cities. 

Ask around, pay attention to social media, check the newspapers, the local Chamber of Commerce calendar, or the local coffee shops’ message boards. Something, somewhere, somehow, you will find a community event to attend.

Alternatively, you can partner up with bars, pubs, cafes, restaurants, and other brewers to create your own beer festival. However, that takes a lot of planning and funds, but it does work, especially if you have a clear strategy.

#8 – Focus On The Unique Aspect Of Your Brand

So what’s special about your craft beer? What sets you apart from other small, local brewers? Do you have a special story behind the beer? Do you use a special ingredient that no one else uses? Does it bring a special flavor to the beer? Do you work with local artists and musicians to promote the beer?

Does your beer reflect the local culture? Is there something special about how it relates to the local culture? Does it have a human side? Can your consumers relate easily to your beer? Think about your journey and experience when creating your beer – and see how you can present it to your consumers. 

#9 – Create A Newsletter

Launching your newsletter seems time-consuming, which doesn’t make it very popular among craft brewers. However, the returns are amazing – for every $1 spent on email marketing, you get a return of more than $30. You’ll get amazing results even if you run a minimal email marketing campaign. For instance, even if you only send an email to your subscribers once a month, you’ll be able to connect to your audience, provide information, and build a strong reputation. 

Let’s face it, you won’t have a big release or launch to announce every month, but even if you just send a short list of your brewery’s products, it’s worth it. You can also provide information on special offers, discounts, beer trips, new restaurant or pub deals, and other information on where and how to find your beers. The key is to make your subject line as attractive as possible and make sure to include your social media links in the message.

#10 – Reward Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty was critical to brand success for most breweries before the digital area. Both small and large breweries flourished because loyal customers stayed loyal and rarely switched to other beer brands. Now, it’s just the same – an engaging customer loyalty program for your brewery can do wonders for your brand.

This means you’ll have to offer unique rewards, perks, and personalized experiences to loyal customers to keep them around. So what can you offer to your long-term, loyal customers? Here are a few ideas:

• 10 to 30 percent discounts on all to-go drinks on special days
• early and exclusive access to special launches
• daily discounts on certain beers
• access to exclusive merchandise, clothing, and books
• access to your special club, where your customers can enjoy special events
• members-only premium access to beers and foods
• various cash-back services
• special referral plans for friends and family

#11 – Launch Your Own Book, Magazine, or Guide

Having your own book about local beers or recipes, written with your own little twist, is an amazing way to market your brand. Writing a book can be very time-consuming and may take years if you research, but it can be a fabulous way to connect with your audience. 

You can talk about the story behind the beers in your local area, famous breweries, the history of beer, or flavors. You’ll get to know more about the local beers, connect with old and new brewers, offer information, and even expand your beer offer. Having your own magazine, even if it’s online, is an amazing way to get local and even national attention. If successful, you will be featured in national publications and grow immensely. Heck, you’ll even attract tourists coming from hundreds or thousands of miles away. 

There’s another thing – some craft beer drinkers are also readers. If your book is good, you will connect with these consumers on a different, much deeper level. When people can actually read a book published by a brewer, it means a lot to them.

#12 – Create and Host Your Own Events

Do you feel like there are no beer festivals in your local area? Do you feel like you can make a small beer festival? Just do it! Seriously, creating your own small beer festival is difficult, but you can do it together with other brewers, restaurants, pubs, or special events companies. You will need a venue, a theme, and artists, and start marketing the event. 

Having your own craft beer event brings A LOT of potential customers who are attracted by the event itself. They will definitely get thirsty there, so why not try your craft beer? It may even become a regional event, attracting thousands of people!

#13 – Guerilla Marketing

Never, and we really mean never, underestimate the power of marketing done by your customers. This indirect marketing is known as guerilla or grassroots marketing, and it’s the overdose version of word-of-mouth marketing. So how do you do it correctly? Here’s a short guide:

• reward loyal customers with wearable merchandise or clothing – this is visible when your customers walk around the city or in stores, bringing your brand in front of thousands of people; these customers are like walking billboards – they promote your brand for free!
• get involved in local events – consider sponsoring local events to bring your brand in front of new customers; for example, if you are in a snowboarding community, sponsor a local team or a local contest; donate hats, gloves, or socks branded with your logo; be creative, use any avenue as a way to show your brand
• consider working with a brand ambassador – use a reward and promotion system to attract famous local people

#14 – What Makes Your Brewery FUN?

Don’t take yourself too seriously; you are not in the undertaking business. You make craft beer and want to sell it to people who want to have fun. They are there for the smiles, parties, getting together with friends, and feeling good.

So don’t take yourself too seriously. Drinking beer is about feeling good, kicking back, and storytelling. Don’t be worried about posting fun stuff on your social media profile. Offer soft drinks for children, plan fun contests, and design holiday special products. Create zany, quirky merchandise to show your customers that you are their partner in having fun! Do a weekly joke snippet, organize a stand-up show, and just have fun at your events!

#15 – Connect With Local Craft Beer Distributors

Getting your product out there gets easier if you work with local craft beer distributors. These companies are focused only on craft beers and don’t work with national brewers. They can easily get your beer in local pubs and restaurants, and they handle the distribution costs. Just make sure you find the right distributor for your beer, and they will find the right customers for you.

They will help you get your craft beer in specialty stores, events, cafes, restaurants, and pubs. Of course, the distributors will also be able to sell your beer online, as they have easy access to most online stores.

#16 – Bring In The Pros – Hire a PR Firm

If you have a decent marketing budget, hiring a PR firm will make all your marketing efforts much more productive. It’s a guaranteed way of getting more customers and more visibility to your craft beer business. 

A good PR firm will help you build your brand identity, create powerful press releases, connect with local publications, manage your ad budget, and expand your reach. They can put your name out there, attract journalists, and connect with the beer scene. They will promote your craft beer business professionally. And the results will come.

Wrapping It Up

Navigating the world of marketing can be a difficult journey filled with ups and downs. Just like exploring mountainous terrain, you’ll encounter peaks of success and valleys of setbacks. You’ll require a keen understanding of the ever-changing social environment to succeed.

Being patient is crucial in marketing. Building a brand, attracting an audience, and achieving what you want takes time. It’s important to remember that results may take time, but with consistent and dedicated efforts, you’ll gradually make progress.