Data has become an essential tool for any established brewery. Backing up personal anecdotes with hard numbers has become a key strategy for securing new placements and maintaining brand relevance.
Kelly Hieronymus, West Sixth’s Creative and Marketing Director, shared that breweries can balance personal connection and data to communicate the strength of potential sales to retailers.
“Being a brand that’s over 10 years old, there are all kinds of new things,” Hieronymus said. “You’re going to a retailer, or you’re going to a mom-and-pop liquor store, or you’re trying to sell your product into a bar or restaurant. … I’m sure there’s brand fatigue.”
So to combat the challenge of keeping up with presumptive consumer demand for novelty while maintaining a solid reputation, data can play a crucial role in proving your brewery’s value and relevance to core products.
Hieronymus said that West Sixth leans heavily on its long history of data collection to substantiate its brand’s consistency and growth.
“When we’re getting pushed out from somewhere, or we’re trying to show someone, ‘Hey, this is why we believe in West Sixth IPA,’ here’s the data that goes with this brand, and it’s still growing 11 years in,” she said.
Being able to emphasize hard numbers has helped the Lexington, Kentucky brewery secure major retail placements, like at Costco, where data-driven evidence of their beer’s performance and loyalty contributed to making the case for stocking West Sixth products.
For the West Sixth sales and marketing team, the use of data goes beyond raw sales figures — it also ties into brand loyalty and consistency.
Hieronymus said that the brewery has data from years of producing a consistent product, like the brand’s core IPA, which is an aspect they believe defines loyalty.
“We have data from years of brewing a specific beer and being passionate about it and making sure that it tastes the same when you have it today at the taproom as it did 10 years ago,” she said.
This consistency not only reassures customers but also reinforces the brewery’s dedication to quality — a selling point they can use to appeal to retailers.
However, Hieronymus believes that while data is critical, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. For her, real-world interactions and a deep understanding of the customer experience go hand-in-hand with the data’s insights.
“Data is not going to tell you everything,” she said. “You kind of have to get your hands dirty to figure out the answers or the whys.”
Breweries, of course, must engage with customers directly as well. Gathering feedback and observing preferences firsthand can lead to looking for the data behind it. Blending quantitative data and qualitative insights can form a well-rounded argument when pitching to new accounts or maintaining relationships with existing retailers.
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West Sixth’s innovative products, such as its recently launched Party Pack — a 12-pack featuring both beer and cider — also demonstrate how data influences product development.
“It’s a combination of what we want to drink and what we think is going to sell,” Hieronymus said. By analyzing data on product preferences and sales, West Sixth looks to innovate while remaining aligned with consumer expectations.
The Party Pack released this fall, was designed to reflect the diversity found in a typical taproom, offering something for everyone and catering to a broader audience.
“We’re not removing any of our other 12-pack options. We’re adding this variety pack, which is an indicator that people want to see it,” she said.
This way, West Sixth can gauge the Party Pack’s performance and adjust its offerings accordingly, using the incoming data to inform future product decisions and respond to market demand.
Watch the full podcast interview with West Sixth’s Kelly Hieronymus with more insights to the release of The Party Pack:
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