Craft beer is no longer just for the few. Everyone and their grandma can enjoy the flavours of a good NEIPA these days. This means the industry is growing, the market is becoming more and more saturated, and the challenge of standing out is harder than ever. For many breweries new and old, this is a daunting task. As designers, David Freer and Jonny Mowat see this challenge as an exciting one, with infinite possible solutions. Here they present a few different things to consider when trying to make a splash in the vast craft ocean.

Look at other industries and see how businesses working within that industry differentiate themselves from the competition. What can you take from those industries, rather than just looking at other breweries? Cannabis is one space to look at right now, with seemingly thousands of brands vying to be the next big thing.

Which ones are making it, and why? There suddenly seems to be a huge number of new mattress brands, all offering their own take on changing your sleep for the better. What aspects of their social media advertising could you take on board?

Following on from the sneaker and streetwear epidemic we have in the Western World, breweries started to treat their beers in the same way, causing customers to queue outside the door for exclusive ‘drops’ of limited beers.

Let Your Designer(s) Get to Know You

If you’re employing a designer—whether it’s a freelancer or a big integrated agency—it’s more than a transaction. It’s a relationship, the fruits from which could grow your business.

Workshops and residencies are the best way to learn what makes you tick, so the design work is true to who and what you are. If your designer doesn’t understand you, you run the risk of commissioning a trendy bit of folio work for them—that doesn’t work in the long haul for you.

When we began the Fyne Ales rebrand, we spent several days on-site where we learned about the fascinating ins and outs of running a brewery on a working farm. It was from that trip we decided to reposition them a ‘farm brewery’, which truly sets them apart in the Scottish craft market. 

Embrace Tribalism

A loaded term in our current political climate, but don’t write off the power of tribes: it’s only human to seek out a select few who share your idiosyncrasies and taste for hops. Find your people, the people who like the beer that you like, that do the same hobbies you do, that have the same shite patter that you have, and make beer for them. 

At our new home in Denver, there’s loads of breweries who do this to great effect. Are you nostalgic for Nintendo 64 and that carefree 90s feeling? Check out the craft brewery Grandma’s House, with its kitschy decor and Mario Kart tournaments.

If you’re a metalhead who’d prefer to headbang while drinking quality craft, there’s Black Sky. One of our favourite examples of brewery tribalism is Mikkeller, who are so entrenched in the running community they’ve got an online shop of branded running kit and send a crew to the Berlin Marathon every year. 

Use What (and Who) You’ve Got

Don’t know any graphic designers, but your uncle is a second-to-none cobbler? Collaborate with him and release a range of beer-inspired brogues. Okay, maybe that’s a reach, but the point is to lean into what and who you’ve got. 

Our client in lovely Illinois, McHenry Brewing Company, didn’t have a six figure budget for sexy branding and interior design. They scraped up what they could and commissioned a solid logo and basic brand from us—you really do need to start with at least that—and leaned on their personal network for the rest.

The brewmaster’s pops (an architect) built the bar-top, a woodworker friend carved their tap handles, a local antiquer restored some old newspaper clippings as wall art. Sometimes, it takes a village. 

You Get What You Pay For

If you’re a brewery in the small business category, budgets are tight and counting the pennies comes first in most decisions. That said, if you can assign a budget to marketing and branding, do it. Gone are the days of making a logo yourself, slapping a watercolour your aunt painted in the 70s on every bottle, and making it big in the craft beer world. Getting this stuff right takes time and money. 

However, that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. Some bigger agencies will require upfront commitments and retainers in the tens of thousands. Others will be happy to begin a working relationship for far less, careful to only deliver what you really need, hopeful to grow their business as your grow yours*. Look at the Tyree Whisky Co for inspiration—they came to us for the bare minimum, but we did it right. Now, we’re working with them on each release as they expand and thrive.

*psst. We’re one of these. 

Never Stop Tooting That Horn

One characteristic that’s sure sign of a successful craft brewery is the ability to produce constant content. In addition to press releases, interviews and other traditional means, today’s masters of craft are finding new ways to constantly be on the minds of beer drinkers.

Write an email newsletter and a beer blog. Produce slick, attractive photos for Instagram but hand over the keys to employees for character-building stories and behind-the-scenes laughs. In the impermanent internet age, more is better.