When Is Beer Like Music?

When you realize that both are being produced in ever-crowded markets. With growth of craft breweries in the double digits, and the penetration of craft breweries approaching 10% of beer sales, the market is quickly getting crowded. So, how do you break through that noise to get at consumers and get them to buy your product?

Well, we talked about branding a few weeks ago. Hand-in-hand with branding is the idea of connecting with your fans. This is an area that musicians are really struggling with. In an age where files containing minutes worth of music are essentially free, how do you get someone to actually pay for your content?

Mike Masnick over at Techdirt suggests this super-handy formula: "Connect with Fans (CwF) + Reason to Buy (RtB) = The Business Model". In support of his "mathematical" model he references Trent Reznor who proposes some great steps for bands to make sure they have the support necessary to promote their b(r)and. Most of it is music-centric - although my favorite is not:

Have your MySpace page, but get a site outside MySpace - it's dying and reads as cheap / generic. Remove all Flash from your website. Remove all stupid intros and load-times. MAKE IT SIMPLE TO NAVIGATE AND EASY TO FIND AND HEAR MUSIC (but don't autoplay). Constantly update your site with content - pictures, blogs, whatever. Give people a reason to return to your site all the time.

This hits just about every one of my biggest online pet-peeves: Myspace (seriously? does anyone use Myspace anymore?); flash (try to visit a flash-based site like, say, this one, on a Blackberry - how's that working for ya? If you can't be seen on an iPhone/Blackberry, you are not relevant. period.); intros/load-time/autoplay (if your customers have to wait, they're going to leave - and for the love of GOD WHERE IS THAT GODDAMN MUSIC COMING FROM?! MAKE IT STOP!!); navigation (keep it simple and drop the cutesy references - seriously, a disco ball?! WTF? A disco ball is NOT a navigation item); out of date content (there's no excuse for it - I'm looking at you practically every brewery in Wisconsin).

But I like Masnick's formula: CwF +  RtB = Business Model.  The advantage with the beer industry is that the primary good doesn't have a marginal cost of $0; as of yet, it still costs money to transfer a unit of beer. But still ...

Connect with Fans: Who are your fans? And I don't mean in a general "beer drinker" kind of way. I mean specifics. Not "who do you think your fans are", but who ARE your fans. What age groups? What gender? What do they do for a living? Where do they live? What, specifically, are their interests? Not just "music", but what kind of music? Not just "sports", which sports? What do they do with their expendable income? How does this differ for you than for other breweries? Are you in front of them or with them when they are doing these things? Why not? Think outside the box - beer sales are not just made at grocery stores, liquor stores and restaurants.

Reason To Buy: There needs to be a reason to buy your beer over a different brewery's. What is that reason? "Ours tastes better" is not a reason. Sense of community (not just local community, but a more global "common interest" community, as well), luxury, experimentation, relaxation, and, yes, partying, are all reasons.

This formula is not the same for everyone. What works for Tyranena won't necessarily work for Pearl Street or Rush River or Lakefront or New Glarus. Moreover, your product isn't just your beer - it is your brand. Do your fans like country music? Why aren't you having country music at your brewery? Do your fans golf? Why aren't you sponsoring golf outings? Are your fans environmentally conscious? Why aren't you selling them (or giving them) re-usable shopping bags? Are your fans homebrewers? Why aren't you holding homebrewing competitions (ps. mad props to The Grumpy Troll for this***)?


*** "'Ten Lords a Leaping' this is the first beer from the Madison Homebrewers and Taster Guild contest we held in March. Four top beers were selected and the one that sells out the fastest will be the grand prize winner. The first beer on tap is a very hoppy beer. If you like Liberty Pole and Freedom, you will love this beer. Check it out! Cheers, Doug"

Madison Beer Review Presents Beer Talk Today

On part two of this weeks podcast, Kyle has a bone to pick with Budweiser, and tries to pronounce "de-alcoholize."



Here's the mp3

Mr. MBR Goes To Michigan

When we talk about beer in the Midwest, I humbly submit, there are two states that stand above all others: Wisconsin and Michigan. Each contains about 20% of the breweries in the Midwest; Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri share the remaining 60%, with Ohio being the next closest with more than 20 fewer breweries than Wisconsin (42 to 66, respectively) despite a population almost twice the size. Michigan, with a population slightly smaller than Ohio has 70 breweries.

Wisconsin has New Glarus, Central Waters, Tyranena, Lakefront and Capital leading the pack (not to mention an incomparable brewpub culture that has almost twice as many brewpubs as breweries). Michigan has such amazing breweries as Bells, Founders, New Holland, Dark Horse, Atwater and Jolly Pumpkin.

So earlier this year a trip was planned for this coming weekend. MBR's step-brother is getting married and to celebrate the occasion, a beer trip through Michigan is being executed. First up is Jolly Pumpkin in Dexter, MI. Brewmaster Ron Jeffries will show us the magic kettles and even magic-er wooden barrels where the golden sour elixers known as La Roja and Bam are created. From there on to the converted hardware store, brew-your-own shop, and generally badass brewery Kuhnhenn Brewing Company in Warren, MI.

Next, we run the gauntlet starting at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founders creates some of the most original and tasty beers out there - from the Kentucky Breakfast Stout to Red's Rye IPA to Centennial IPA to the Ambrosia Tart. From Founders, on to Holland and the home of New Holland Brewing Company. While New Holland is oft over-looked they are well-loved and they create the ever-solid Mad Hatter IPA, and not only a schwarzbier, but also a kolsch, rye doppelbock, and Belgian dark, among countless others.

I'm not sure I need to tell you about our next stop, Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ubiquitous, omnipresent, unerring, and the undisputed king of Midwest craft beer; we'll be stopping in at the brewpub in downtown Kalamazoo to see what crazy libations can be had on tap direct from the source that can't be found anywhere else. I'm betting dollars to donuts that a growler or two will be filled.

Finally, we end our trip in Marshall at Dark Horse where we will attempt to drink all five stouts in succession and then chase them down with a Double Crooked Tree IPA.

For this reason, posting on Friday may or may not happen. I will try to get up some pictures as I have internet access throughout the weekend. Stay tuned here, or at our Facebook page our at MBR Twitter where you'll be updated on our progress through Michigan.

As you can see, a great trip can be done in a long-ish weekend with minimal expenditure and maximum beer. The only downside is driving, so make sure at least one of you is a designated driver for an appropriate period of time. Hope to see you on the road!!

Impromptu MBR Meet-Up

I know it's late notice, but MBR and The Business Forum are having a joint get-together at The Malt House tonight. We'll be there starting at 5:30 and who knows how long we'll be there.

I hope you'll come out and join us.

Madison Beer Review Presents Beer Talk Today

In part one of this week's podcast, we review our lost interview with Lake Louie's Tommy Porter. Plus in News in 60 Seconds we cover Oregon Beer Week, drinking on the job, Kirin's new Yebisu Stout Creamy Top, and Stone's hoppiest beer ever. Plus, a confused caller.



Here's the mp3

Cheers!

Audience Participation: Cheap Beer

NPR ran a story on the Washington Post's blind tasting of cheap beers (had to be less than $6 for a six-pack). This is something that we have in the works and will be bringing you ... well ... as soon as we can get schedules coordinated to do it.

In the meantime, I was thinking about this over the holiday weekend as I found myself suffering with Miller High Life and Coors Light at Summerfest (though both Lakefront and Milwaukee Ale House both have facilities there - unfortunately I didn't see them before I had bought my beer - it was the first time I had been to Summerfest).

We had New Glarus' Naked with fireworks which I enjoy considerably more than Spotted Cow. Furthermore's Oscura made it into the mix for Concerts on the Square last week. Of course, neither of those meet the sub-$6 requirement. Unfortunately ingredients and general economies of scale issues prevent the good stuff for selling less than $6 for a six-pack. This is why I find myself buying 22s and 750s, many of which can be found for less than $6.

We've already talked about my latest obsession with Coors Banquet. So, what do you grab for less than $6 a six-pack?

Fond du Lac Area Tavern Holds Fundraiser After Patron Kills Passenger In DUI Crash

The kicker. The fundraiser is to raise legal defense funds and hospital bills for the jackass who was driving the motorcycle (without a motorcycle license) and is now sitting in jail facing charges for DUI and vehicular homicide, not to mention operating a vehicle without a license. You can read the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's article here.

You want to hear the good news? Free beer at the fundraiser.

Seriously. You can't make this stuff up.

Mad props to Midwest Microbrews for pointing this out.