Could Your Branding Be Driving Away Sales?

As breweries continue to flood shelves and tap handles with new brews, taking a step back and seeing what the consumer sees could be a key.

Perhaps what a brewery is doing to be seen is actually hurting.

“The only reason I would suggest someone to make changes to their brand is if they feel as though it is a poor reflection of the people who work for the brewery,” said Creature Comforts CEO and co-founder Chris Herron.

It’s important to consider the new customer without forgetting about or changing too much for your loyal customer, noted Mad River‘s Tera Spohr.

“It’s a delicate balance to capture the new without losing the old,” the brewery’s Marketing Director said. “It’s good to update your image and try new products but you want to make sure you continue to offer the same quality in those that have been brand favorites.

She added that it’s also good to make small changes so an image has ‘pop’ but not so much that loyal consumer can’t find a brewery’s branding or feels that the brewery has strayed from the original intention.

Herron pointed out that breweries have to realize that their brand is much more than just the logo image and the design of their packaging.

“It is the quality and consistency of their beer,” he said, adding that it’s the voice and tone on social media; the décor and feel of a brewery space; the merchandise; and in the marketing point of sale, along with web presence, employees, and culture.

“Consumers are looking at all of these things to form the picture of a brand, not just a logo and package art,” Herron said.