With SABInBev and it’s “High End” and ZX disrupters trying to muddy the water of the craft beer scene, a counter tactic has been unveiled on both a city and national level.
First off, the San Diego Brewers Guild will be issuing window clings, flags and even tap danglers for use in tasting rooms and at events. You can read more about it HERE.
The Brewers Association has created a new seal to promote independent craft brewers. Dogfish Head is the first to promote that their packaging will sport the upside down bottle logo. (A design that I think is fine though the interwebs seem to have an issue with it)
Bringing this down to earth, I think window clings and seals on premise are of little use out in the real world because the point of contact with a beer is the key purchasing decision point not a sticker on the front door. Because the main purpose (in my mind) for these seals is for those who are “casually” into beer. That will look for an IPA but don’t want to deep dive into the business side.
Bombers and six-packs with either seal of approval will be stocked without any problem since the bottle shops and stores aren’t put out by extra work or expense and will be the most effective in my mind because people can easily see that one has the seal and another doesn’t. And the aforementioned “casuals” will see it and be cued to look for it again. Especially if they see it on more and more brands. You can bet that BA member breweries are already designing their labels to fit the new seal. Some will complain that they are forced into adding it, lest they be left out, but they also have to put SKUs and other labeling onto a bottle and can be creative about it.
But that leads to a nitpicky query on my part, which bar or bottle shop will willingly go along with demarcating their keg merchandise.
A brewery taproom can splash #independent everywhere and if they have guest taps are probably already choosing fellow like-minded breweries so there is no battle to be won. Getting a consumer there was the win. A tap dangler ain’t gonna help.
It is in the bottle shops and bars and restaurants that a tap dangler or other means of communicating “not Bud” could make someone stop and think. Say you go to the fancy Spire 73 at the newly opened Wilshire Grand building here in DTLA. They have Boomtown Brewing, Angel City Brewing and Golden Road on tap. A fully independent brewery, a brewery owned by Sam Adams and the faux Bud craft option. It would be great to see the Seal next to the first two and nothing next to the third on both the paper menus and online.
But would the bar they play along? What’s in it for them?