How Breweries are Forecasting and Marketing for Sales

The use of technology tied in with gut instinct is the new calling card for keeping your brewery on the cusp of future sales.

From pilot batch, to taproom feedback, bumping production and finding a sales niche can all rely on how much forecasting your brewery has before the liquid is poured.

Being able to track data via social media, consumer interaction along with sales figures, a brewery can give itself a leg up in determining the success of a beer.

Justin Carson, the owner of Platform Brewing in Cleveland said his brewery is very analytical as far as what is trending, how beers are received, and they use verified sales to apply to their sales approach.

Sales techniques are ever changing since the brewery opened in 2014 and Carson said his management team encourages salespeople to always listen to customers and bring feedback to the brewery for new ideas.

Distribution software along with IRI numbers help track data while spreadsheets and mapping tools can help round out details.

“We know how something should perform before brewing, to verifying customer experience, to verified sales at locations,” he explained. “We have different barometers for different styles but basically everything we do … dictates if the product will be released again or just a one-off.”

Just understanding what is new and exciting in other parts of the country can also change local perception.

To an extent, Tin Roof CEO Jacob Talley feels that his brewery is affected by trends a tad.

“The most sensitive style these days is obviously the IPA/hoppy style,” he explained. “It has made us look at how we can improve our hoppy beers. Our Pale Ale has seen a tremendous increase in sales in the marketplace when we tweaked the recipe to make it more appealing to our beer drinkers.

“We didn’t want to chase the hazy trend, but we also wanted to make sure we addressed the new recipe and tailor it to make it our own.”

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