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Editor's Note: Aligning Our Passions |
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Written by Jeff Cioletti
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Thursday, 08 July 2010 12:20 |
Looks like the third's a charm. Well, in this case, the first and second were quite the charms as well. I’m talking about the third-annual Savor, the Brewers Association's craft beer/food pairing extravaganza in our nation’s capital, which last month drew 2,000 beer enthusiasts to sample the wares of about 70 craft breweries.
You don't need me to reiterate the obvious: craft beer's volume and dollar gains as the rest of the beer market declines, evolving consumer tastes, affordable luxury, etc. That's not news to anyone reading these pages (though apparently it is to National Public Radio, as NPR reported on the trend and craft beer’s 2009 numbers in late June). What I believe is under-reported is the emotional component, the passion.
Craft beers don’t have consumers, they have fans. That’s one of their key distinguishing factors from other consumer packaged goods (CPGs, if you're into cold acronyms). And they can be quite the passionate lot.
Case in point: Dogfish Head (Milton, Del.) used the occasion to unveil its latest creation, Bitches Brew, a commemorative ale celebrating the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ musical landmark of the same name. It was a sort of beer geek's Holy Grail, with eager fans patiently waiting in a line that snaked across the sprawling National Building Museum floor. Waiting for them when they finally reached the Dogfish Head table was not only the brew itself, but the brewery’s founder, Sam Calagione, who was among those pouring it into attendees’ souvenir Savor tasting glasses.
The passion of its fan-base is one of the visible elements that's been putting wind in craft beer’s sails (and sales), but it's actually rooted in the passion of the people behind the brands, many of whom left other stable careers to do what they truly love. And the fans feed off of that.
In this new era of engagement, consumers are looking for brands that are not only about the finished product, but the types of people behind it. Increasingly they don't want to buy from companies that see the product as just another widget or something that was created to fulfill someone's MBA requirements.
They want to put their hearts and souls behind brands created by individuals who put their own hearts and souls into, whether it's a craft beer, an organic ready-to-drink tea, an artisanal soda with its own unique story or what have you. Passion begets passion and is the key ingredient in converting consumers to fans.
From Beverage World July, 15, 2010
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The largest independently owned juice company in the US, Apple & Eve continues to grow with its line of pure, natural juices in an increasingly health-minded beverage market.