By: Greg Kerr
In the competitive world of craft beer, where new breweries seem to pop up every day, building a strong brand identity is crucial. Your brewery is more than just a place to get a drink or food. It’s a local gathering and community space with a story, a personality, and opportunities to form bonds. Merchandise can be a powerful tool to elevate your brand and connect with your customers on a deeper level, fostering a legion of loyal fans who will not only return for your latest seasonal brew, but will proudly represent your brand wherever they go.
Breweries stand in a unique position compared to other local restaurants or small businesses because people actively want to identify with the brand and find alignment. You become their safe hangout spot that they can formulate new experiences from and find community.
There are some common brand building pieces of merchandise that we see on a regular basis from breweries, and all are centered around focusing on the customer experience and elevating it for them.
Enamel pins and challenge coins can be used for a lot of different experiences.
● Help celebrate seasonal offerings.
● Serve as rewards for customers unlocking new experiences, e.g. someone has tried X amount of seasonal brews and gets a pin which unlocks discounts or early tastings, etc.
● As a loyalty club identifier.
● Brand logo pins for placing on hats, jackets, totes, etc.
● Challenge coins similar to how people in the military will check to see if you have it on you and if they do, they get a small reward.
● Pin sets to help bolster the brand imagery.
● Fun designs linked to the branding or seasonal offerings.
Beyond the Logo Tee or Tote Bags: Cultivating a Brand Experience Through Merchandise
Forget cheap t-shirts with your logo slapped on them. People are inundated with generic promotional shirts and tote bags that end up forgotten in a drawer or worse, tossed in the trash. When it comes to brewery merchandise, quality and creativity reign supreme. People want unique, high-quality items that they’ll be proud to wear or use. This means investing in customizable merchandise that reflects your brewery’s personality and values. Instead of just having your logo on everything, find fun ways to reflect the vibe of the company in a way that people want to represent it and use it. The key in effective marketing is providing value to not only yourself, but to your customer by creating something unique that aligns with your brand.
Here’s how Your Merchandise can Brew up Brand Loyalty and Boost Your Business
Brand Ambassadors: Walking Advertisements That Generate Buzz. Eye-catching hats, pins, keychains, tote bags, shirts, or pint glasses become walking advertisements for your brewery. Every time a customer wears a comfy tee featuring your name or uses a stylish tote bag with your art, they’re spreading brand awareness. Imagine a customer sporting your brewery’s hoodie at a music festival or a couple using your pint glasses at a backyard barbecue – that’s free advertising that reaches a whole new audience.
Increased Customer Loyalty: Fostering a Sense of Community. People who love your beer will love to represent your brand. Merchandise creates a sense of community and belonging, fostering stronger customer loyalty. Die-hard fans will be eager to snap up a limited-edition t-shirt commemorating your latest IPA or a cozy beanie featuring your brewery’s slogan. These items become a badge of honor, a way for customers to connect with your brand and signal their appreciation.
A Walking Billboard: Racking Up Impressions with Every Sip. A well-designed item generates thousands of impressions as your customer carries it around. Did you know that the average tote bag gets over 3000 impressions? Every time someone uses or wears your merch at the gym or your social gathering, they’re putting your brand in front of a potential new customer.
Additional Revenue Stream: Turning Your Passion into Profit. Merchandise can be a profitable way to supplement your income and reinvest in your brewery. Offer a variety of items at different price points to cater to all budgets. From koozies and keychains to high-end glassware and limited-edition apparel, you can create a selection that appeals to every fan. This allows you to not only spread brand awareness but also generate additional revenue to fuel your brewing endeavors.
Creative Brews, Creative Merch: Going Beyond the Expected
Think Outside the Pint Glass: Unconventional Items that Make You Stand Out. Don’t limit yourself to traditional brewery fare. Offer unique items like enamel pins featuring your hop varietals, keychains shaped like your signature beer bottles, or even custom-designed bottle openers. These unexpected items will spark conversation and help your brewery stand out from the crowd.
Embrace Your Local Roots: Celebrate Your Community. Incorporate local landmarks, ingredients, or themes into your designs. This creates a sense of place and resonates with your local customers. If your brewery is named after a historic building, feature its image on a t-shirt. If your signature pale ale is made with locally sourced honey, design a label highlighting the local bee farm. These touches will show your customers that you’re invested in the community and give them a reason to be invested in you. Find ways to integrate the community into your artwork.
Get Seasonal: Limited-Edition Brews Deserve Limited-Edition Merchandise. Offer limited-edition merchandise for special releases or seasonal beers. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages repeat customers to visit your brewery or online store to snag the latest collectible. Imagine a commemorative item designed specifically for your holiday stout or a cozy beanie featuring the artwork from your winter ale. Limited-edition items can be highly sought after by your fans.
TLDR
Merchandise is an investment, but the return on that investment can be huge. By creating high-quality, creative items that resonate with your customers, you can turn your brewery into a brand they’ll love to represent. Your merchandise will become a badge of honor, a way for customers to connect with your community and celebrate their love for your craft beers. Like all forms of marketing, the more focused you get on your mission and delivery, the better the results you can get. You have a real opportunity to strengthen your local community by making your location a desired destination that people want to proudly represent. At the end of the day, before spending money on merchandise, ask yourself if you’d use it or would want to carry it around? You can go beyond promotional and into fully custom merchandise that will stand out from the crowd and create truly unique items that represent and promote your company.
Greg Kerr is the Owner of Alchemy Merch, which creates custom merchandise for creatives and companies. Alchemy has made over 4 million custom products for artists, brands, and creatives in all fields. Greg guides artists and corporate clients through the process of creating quality custom merchandise that helps them achieve their goals of increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and more. Alchemy eliminates the pain points of sourcing materials, production, quality control and design that most people encounter when making promotional products versus investing in custom merchandise. Prior to expanding his business and evolving it into Alchemy, Greg founded Pin Game Strong, making custom enamel pins for artists and corporate clients.
Art and creativity are in Greg’s blood. He is a musician and performs in a heavy hardcore band. He first started creating merchandise for brands while touring with his punk rock band in the early 2000s. The belt buckles he made for the band caught the attention of other musicians and soon turned into Greg’s first foray into custom merchandise.
