The Power of Branding in the craft beer industry by Stephen Carter

The saying goes to never judge a book by its cover. For the most part, I think most of us live our lives by this mantra, myself in particular; I always like to know more before I commit to something rather than taking everything at face value. It’s funny then that this is a rule which, generally speaking, I don’t seem to follow when it comes to my beer buying/drinking habit. What do I mean by this? Allow me to explain…

You see, I’m a sucker for a shiny or well-designed label. If it looks good, I tend to commit to buying it which sees me buying the vast majority of my beers in cans as opposed to bottles. A can has more available space for designers to be creative, whereas a bottle can be quite restrictive given their narrow neck. Of course, there are different ways for brewers to be creative with bottles such as wax sealing (like Wild Beer Co.) or even corking a bottle (Lindemans Kriek) but cans just seem to appeal more to me.

Now I’m not suggesting that I will pick up a can without looking more into what it contains, however when I am browsing, I am more drawn to an elaborate design as opposed to something more conventional. Now I feel like I am not the only one who does this as, given how popular craft beer is now, each has to stand out from the crowd to attract attention. If a can catches my eye, I’ll see what it is (Style, hops and canned date etc) however my decision is usually made by this point; if I like it, I’ll buy it.

Recently I have started collecting the labels from the beers I have bought, sticking them to a backing board and displaying them on the wall in our spare room. This, to some extent, probably shapes my decisions on which beers I buy but the more abstract the better in my mind.

But what impact has this had on my enjoyment of craft beer? Surprisingly I have found that this has been of no real detriment to my overall enjoyment of my purchases. Have I had a ‘bad’ beer? I wouldn’t have said so. Have there been ones which I have enjoyed less than others? Of course, but not to the point where I have felt disappointed or like they weren’t worth buying. To me, part of the excitement and enjoyment that is the world of craft is trying new things on whim, discovering a new beer or style and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I am the same when buying on draft; rather than trying everything before I buy, I will usually opt for a measure and buy it if I fancy it. Not only does this support the brewery by purchasing their wares, but there are few better feelings than discovering a beer out of the blue with no prior research or knowledge.

For me in particular, a strong brand is what sells beer. What is interesting is, if you read a breweries website or interviews they have done, their influence for naming and branding a beer is usually discussed. Knowing this adds to the appeal and heritage of their product which makes it a more attractive proposition. Having control over their own branding is something which also allows their creative side to flourish, giving them freedom to design their own labels and packaging. You’ll find that a brewery sometimes sticks to a given design/branding style, much like Magic Rock or Marble, but they can work with this familiar look and still manage to pull off cans that look (and sometimes even feel) excellent and long may it continue!

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