What do you think about when you hear “beer” and “marketing?” Is it Super Bowl commercials with talking dogs and frogs and catchphrases that find their way onto T-shirts and social feeds?
That’s fair. The big-budget, big beer ad has long been a staple of the industry. But the emergence of the craft brew business hasn’t just brought about a change in the variety of flavors in your glass, mug, bottle or can. It has also brought new forms of storytelling that are much more in line with content marketing than traditional advertising. The reason is clear: The craft beer audience wants more than funny commercials and mascots. They want details.
Even if you're not marketing beer, the audience-centric nature of the storytelling will sound familiar here. Any company or association that markets to a specific set of interests should take note and heed this lesson: Authenticity reigns supreme.
Get to know our guests
- Michael Kiser launched Good Beer Hunting as a passion project and turned it into a full-blown editorial operation. Michael Kiser and his team of around 25 writers, designers, photographers, videographers and more cover the industry with the passion of fans and the professionalism of journalists—because they’re both.
- Shad Kunkle is a Second City alumnus, friend of Imagination and—lucky for us—big fan of craft beer.