Strategies for Maximizing Marketing for Your Cidery

Building an effective marketing strategy can mean finding the right mix in catering to regulars and fans while bringing in a new group of consumers as well with each post. As some in the craft cidery industry pointed out to Brewer, success comes not from a single strategy but from employing multiple approaches cohesively.

One fundamental marketing strategy is educating consumers through ideal storytelling. Although cider has been around for millennia, many American consumers are still unfamiliar with the vast number of cider varieties.

“We make ciders in collaboration with intra-national and international producers that are higher in tannin and funk character, attributes not commonly known to the American consumer,” Gregory Johnson, Head Cidermaker at ANXO Cider, explained to Brewer in the past.

He said educating consumers about these unfamiliar styles through tastings has been essential.

“We literally have to put the liquid in someone’s mouth, and then they understand,” he said.

Nicole Ward of Eastman’s Forgotten Ciders echoes this sentiment, saying that their team leans heavily on sharing apple facts to spark curiosity and make their products more accessible. “When you start to talk about how we make our cider, [consumers] become more interested,” she said. Engaging customers with stories about the apples used or production methods helps transform them into connoisseurs and fans of your product.

Yet, don’t just lean on facts. Community engagement and collaborations enhance your brand’s exposure, either by forming strategic partnerships or participating in local events.

Collaborations in any way can allow a cidery to not only extend potential consumer reach but also build trust within the community. Ward added the importance of a consistent presence, whether it’s through social media or direct interactions with customers.

“We also try to highlight a lot of the behind-the-scenes on our Facebook and Instagram pages,” she said, adding that people want to connect with both the personality of the cidery along with the hard work involved in orchard operations.

Collaborations with local producers and businesses offer another avenue for marketing success. When cideries align with regional partners, it can increase brand visibility organically. Participating in events like tastings, festivals, or cider dinners allows you to tell your story directly while introducing consumers to products they might not otherwise encounter.

Possibly most importantly, data-driven insights play a crucial role in marketing, ensuring that campaigns remain focused and effective.

Andrew Perez from Highpoint stresses that tracking key metrics helps cider makers stay aligned with their operational goals.

“Any system is only as good as the people that use it,” he said, adding that the need to develop specific metrics that resonate with your cidery’s unique definition of success.

READ MORE: Cider Corner: Developing and Processing Marketing Research

Regular monitoring of financial data, customer preferences, and market performance enables cideries to identify what’s working and quickly adjust strategies where needed.

In addition to tracking internal performance, analyzing market trends is essential for staying competitive. Golden State Cider, for instance, regularly reviews depletion metrics and scan data to understand how their products are performing off-premise.

“We look at velocity rates, distribution, and market share to evaluate ourselves against our competitive set,” said Breanne Heuss, Director of Marketing for the brand.

Together, these three strategies can create a roadmap to strengthen marketing efforts. Of course, no single strategy guarantees success. Rather, an adaptable and holistic approach allows your brand to tell a story authentically, forge meaningful partnerships, and make data-backed decisions that drive growth.

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