As technology evolves, so does the way consumers digest advertising. And as craft beer continues to emerge in the overall marketplace, so does the way breweries find ways to attract new fans.
“If the emerging consumer has less of an attention span, than our need to build more disruptive content becomes imperative,” said Short’s Brewing art director Jesse Den Herder.
For Short’s, which left its home state of Michigan for the first time with territory expansion into neighboring states earlier this year, finding ways to attract what they like to call “brand ambassadors” means showcasing a hometown touch.
“I think our honest, creative, and a no-frills approach to marketing and advertising has served us well throughout this growth and will continue to do so in the future,” said Short’s marketing coordinator Gillian Cobb. “If anything, I think the further real-time documentation of life at Short’s through social media channels like Facebook (Facebook Live), Instagram, and Snapchat will continue to help us connect with consumers on a deeper level, creating enhanced brand loyalty.”
The company takes in-house advertising to heart, using the owners and employees in homemade spots posted online and used as content to help advertise for new beer releases.
“Our in-house design and video projects show the culture of Short’s and help to tell our story in a way that consumers can easily connect with,” Den Herder said.
“Social media channels provide us with a space for consumers to not only get to know our products, but learn about our culture and the people at Short’s,” Cobb added. “We’re able to implement campaigns and connect with customers in real time 24 hours a day.”
Cobb added that the most compelling aspect of Short’s marketing is how genuine it attempts to be and conceptualize what they exactly are.
“There’s no fancy marketing or design firm working behind the scenes and we don’t have a video production team contracted to shoot our videos,” she explained. “We’ve got a small team of marketing professionals and designers (five in total) who work with our festivals and events team, production, Liberation (in-house sales), and pub staff to come up with compelling content that shows what you should be drinking, what we do, where we live, and why we love it.”
She says the staff doesn’t “gloss over what’s gritty.” The entire group spent hours leading up to the release of its #WithoutDelayIPA promotion for Psychedelic Cat Grass. At midnight on Aug. 17, a Facebook Live post began and owner Joe Short welcomed viewers and gave updates through the night as to how things were going while helping pack up six-packs of the IPA that was to be sent throughout the Short’s territory that day.
“Our consumers appreciate how honest we our products, our people, and our marketing and I don’t see that changing,” Cobb said.
Even in a digital age, face-to-face communication still is indispensable.
“The Pub is the best way to connect and engage with our customers,” said Short’s Marketing Communications Associate Emily Sullivan. “Our pubtenders are able to give the time and individual attention to guide each guest to a beer they enjoy.”
She also sees it as a way to advertise upcoming releases, events, and merchandise through a single avenue.
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