This is Part Five of a series about the (fictional yet true-to-life) story of Sarah Thompson and David Miller, co-founders of a craft beer brand. (Here’s Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four!) We wrote this series to give a helpful nudge to budding craft beer entrepreneurs. We know that a lot of dreaming, planning, and researching happens before most brewers go pro. Often, hearing other people’s stories stokes inspiration and builds the courage to take that big first step. It also fills in the blanks about what kind of craft beer brand growth strategies and marketing work they will probably need to do.
We work with many craft beer brands—a good percentage of them from their earliest days. So, we know precisely what their journey looks like from the vantage point of packaging. We wanted to create a story series that showed what goes on at every stage of that journey. Hopefully, it will demystify at least part of the process for you and give you the confidence you need to get started.
We really love craft beer and entrepreneurs… put them together and you’ll find yourself in a world of fun, experimentation, creativity, and community-building. If you are interested in being part of this world, read on.
Back to Sarah and David!
Advent Calendar
Sarah and David could have never predicted where that first exciting conversation when they were seated together at a tasting event would take them. But their shared vision of launching a craft beer brand, complementary skillsets, and hard work took them to their personal summit. They created a line of beers based on recommended food pairings, and step by step, made that line a success. They launched a brewery, moved into retail, and managed to gradually increase sales through both channels. They have beautifully branded labelled cans, corrugated trays, folding carton multi-pack boxes, and Point of Purchase (POP) displays. They’ve gone the distance.
So, what does growth look like at this stage of the game? The answer: have more fun. The winter holiday season is a time for enjoying yourself, and that’s the spirit Sarah and David are tapping into with their packaging strategy.
Sarah and David work with Great Little Box Company/Ideon Packaging (GLBC) to create limited edition holiday packaging. They make a version of their corrugated cardboard multipack box that also functions as an advent calendar. Corrugate (Cardboard) inserts protect and organize the cans by date. With the digitally printed advent calendar, you’re not just tearing through the packaging to get your beverage: you’re playing a game and getting your daily treat. These are the sort of fun, interactive elements that give products a major boost on the holidays.
Soon, their beer is flying off the liquor store shelves. Their customers are loving the advent calendar, and they get a lot of positive feedback. It’s another sales booster and brand loyalty win. Happy Holidays!
We’re near the end of our series, but we have one more installment to share. Stay tuned. And in the meantime, if you are feeling inspired enough to start talking with a packaging partner, please reach out! There’s very little we like more than talking to entrepreneurs-to-be about the possibilities.
Links to the Entire Blog Series
From Homebrews to Homeruns: A Craft Beer Packaging Journey, Part One
From Homebrews to Homeruns: A Craft Beer Packaging Journey, Part Two
From Homebrews to Homeruns: A Craft Beer Packaging Journey, Part Three
From Homebrews to Homeruns: A Craft Beer Packaging Journey, Part Four