Staying Ahead of the Curve: How New Glory Navigates Changing Consumer Tastes

Photo courtesy New Glory Craft Brewery

A conversation for the past few years now for Sacramento’s New Glory Craft Brewery is how to start catering to a new drinker.

“There are some arguments for some brands out there that their consumer base is ‘dying’ every year,” said founder Julien Lux. ”As the brand is getting older, so is their consumer base. The people who were drinking with us 10 years ago, now got 10 years older, and they are thinking differently, they are in different stages in their lives.

“Lining up in lines, and waiting for beer might not be the cool thing anymore. So we still gotta figure out how to maintain them as a consumer, and then we still have to figure out how we attract the new drinkers.”

That means digging into new styles, branding, and marketing. It is all a part of the future-forward thinking.

READ MORE: Crafting Cohesion: How New Glory Navigates Branding and Distribution Challenges

“I feel like I’ve come full circle,” Lux said, who is in his late 30s. “I started with the lighter stuff, then I got into the hop craze in whatever was the highest IBU I could get my hands on. Then I started appreciating other styles, like Belgians and Saisons, and got on to the sour train, and the hazy train. Now I’m back to the true and tested.

“My system doesn’t process things as well as it used to. And, if I’m going to have a beer or two, I’m gonna go for what I know is true and tested, and good and what I like.”

It’s Lux’s opinion that the drinker who started drinking 10 years ago is on that same cycle.

“If we are going to target them, we want to make sure that one of our beers is their household name. And that’s the beer they want to drink every day,” he said. “The new drinkers, that one is interesting because they are very health conscious.

“Does that fit with what we’re doing right now? Not necessarily. But I think they also care about quality as well. And something I think they’re gonna be going for, still, is that true and tested. I don’t know that they’re gonna go through the same cycle that we did of trying everything and wanting to try everything. I think they’re gonna try something; like it; and they’re gonna stick with that for a while. And they are price-conscious.

“We’re definitely working on some stuff for the health-conscious mind.”

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*