Cider Corner: Creating New Sales Avenues Through Demographic Exploration

​Capturing different markets can always be on your cidery’s mind. Yes, you may have your mainstays and those that are true “craft cider lovers,”​ but developing a marketing strategy for outside that comfort zone can take time and effort.

Take High Limb Cider, for an example. The Plymouth, Massachusetts facility sees the need to find new avenues for sales and intentionally set out a plan as a brand to find new consumers.

A big part of ​the strategy, says the cidery’s VP of Marketing, Mary Kate Byrne, is to appeal to people who haven’t yet determined they like cider. As a brand, ​High Limb’s goal is to help the cider industry grow and evolve through product innovation, experimenting with unique flavors and styles, and inviting non​-​cider drinkers in.

As many consumers moderate their drinking and lean into health ​and ​wellness​-​inspired purchasing, ​Stem Cider ​has ​taken to presenting ​its ​cider more broadly as a fantastic option for lower​-​alcohol beverages that offer innovative flavors and compelling nutrition.

​”​We’re doing this via education with distributor partners and retail accounts primarily​,” said COO Dave Duffy. “Next up is more communication to consumers directly.​”​

​Like many cideries, High Limb has heard people say that ​cider is too sweet for them.

READ MORE: Cider Corner: Best Ways to Educate Consumers on Your Styles

High Limb reworked its recipes in 2020 and developed a plan for all of its new releases for 2021: “We had this note in mind: How can we develop authentic ciders that true cider lovers will recognize and love, while also showing the naysayers that cider doesn’t have to be the overly sweet drink they thought they knew,” Byrne said.

This philosophy, she said, comes to life with an experimental approach to new product releases.

“We’re always trying new things so our customers can try new things too,” the company said.

​Duffy told Brewer that it is being very deliberate​ in new marketing campaigns​, but ​it is ​still in development as part of a larger initiative for 2022 related to changes in ​its visual identity.