A beer flight

The Craft Beer Industry Isn’t Dying After All

Is there anything better than an icy cold beer on a hot summer night? We can think of maybe one thing: an icy cold craft beer. There’s been a lot of speculation that the craft beer industry has been shrinking over the past few years. However, since state laws have shifted to allow on-premise sales, craft brewery revenues have continued to increase.

The “at-the-brewery” channel grew last year, especially among Millennials, who many thought were responsible for killing the craft brewing industry. 56% of Millennials drink craft beer at least once a week and are spending more on average than their older counterparts. (source)

So why are some in the industry saying that craft beer is dying?

While some of the “big beer” companies like Boston Beer and Anheuser-Busch have reported revenue declines in Q1, independent craft breweries are seeing growth in both off-premise and on-premise revenue. In addition, more Millennials appear to be jumping ship from the big beer companies, looking for a new independent and local craft option.

If you’re part of the craft brew industry, you are positioned to really take on the big dogs if you play your cards right and remember why your fans are with you. People are flocking to craft brews because of their dedication to superior quality and flavor. In a way, craft brewers can offer a more “loved on” beverage to their customers because they don’t have the pressure and restriction of mass production stifling their creativity and desire to push the envelope.

While the craft brew niche may be a small slice of the beer industry pie, the beer industry as a whole still accounted for over $111 billion in sales in 2017, while in comparison, “Americans spent $41.8 billion on wine [in 2017] and $26.2 billion on spirits.” (source) Craft brewers have the ability to really cash in on their passion for brewing a revered product, if they are able to successfully win over consumers who are looking for something more in their brews.

At Marbury, we love partnering with clients in the food and beverage industry to help them discover what makes them unique. Once you’ve identified that secret ingredient, your craft brewery business has nowhere to go but up. Millennials love to go “all-in” with companies they truly believe in and feel an affinity toward. Use creative branding and marketing to show why you deserve to stand apart from and up against the big beer companies. Give potential customers no choice but to fall in love with your mission and product. One of the greatest marketing tools a company could ever ask for is a dedicated fan base. If you’ve got the stellar product, commit the time and budget to making sure the world knows that.

If you’re a craft brewery and are looking to take your business to the next level, the Marbury team would love to partner with you and take your marketing directly to the consumers that need to know about you. For more information on how to get started, please contact us at shelly@marburycreativegroup.com!

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