Drink that Social Media Down

“Shipyaaad”

Shipyard Brewing Company is a small brewery founded in 1992 in my hometown of Portland, Maine. Originally, the beers were all brewed in Kennebunk, Maine but within two years the product was so in demand that they had to build a new brewery in Portland just to keep up with the rising popularity. Not bad for a small beer company from Maine. At first, the company used fairly predictable ways of advertising its product. They targeted locals by partnering up with some of the most popular restaurants in the area; eventually they sent their product south when they struck a deal with Sea Dog Brewery. This is a company that does not have regulated a large sum of money to advertising. They rely heavily on word of mouth. There are no mainstream media advertisements, no television commercials or radio spots. Most people outside of Maine have never even heard of this particular beer and therefore they pass right by it on the shelves and gravitate towards the “safer” choices of Budweiser and others like it. Social media marketing is a perfect tactic for this company, it’s cheap, easy to maintain and has the ability to reach a large number of people in a short about of time. Oh, and did I mention it’s really cheap?

What’s the right way to market booze?

When it comes to marketing alcohol, it can be a bit of a challenge. In the United States, the marketing is highly regulated in a similar way that tobacco advertisements are. In other words if no one else sees your advertisements, at least Uncle Sam will, but he might not like what he sees. In the alcohol biz, it’s safer to shoot for achieving brand loyalty rather than a higher consumption rate. It’s better to have people to buying (and stick to buying) your brand on a regular basis, rather than buying your product for one night of heavy binge drinking. There have been a few companies in recent years that have gotten it right by using social media. If I could only pick two ways to market Shipyard Brewing Company using social media it would have to be through an iPhone application and through a blog. (But I would recommend using Facebook and Twitter as well just for good measure.) An iPhone application is so great because it encourages a very deep level of engagement; it is not just a notification system that a poorly constructed Twitter account can turn into. Users are basically downloading (and sometimes even paying for) an interactive advertisement and caring it around with them wherever they go!

Absolut-ly Right

One of the best examples of advertising for alcohol is Absolut Vodka. They have an Absolut page on Facebook which the company utilizes to not only announce new products or events but also cleverly directs people over to their website which is top notch. There is also an iPhone application called Drinkspiration, it allows users to browse and make the perfect drink choice and if they so choose, share it on Facebook or Twitter. They dubbed it “GPS for cocktails.”

Another clever thing Absolut has done real well, and it may be what they are most known for is their video blogs called “In an Absolut World.” Available on youtube or via their website, these blogs are creative, engaging and some of the most interesting I’ve seen. An example of one of their best viral videos revolves around a group of artists from around the world who make art spelling out Absolut’s philosophy. And to tie it all together, some of the art is done with empty Absolut bottles…how cute is that?

“Yeah…there’s an app to find your booze”

Proximo Spirits, which is the liquor company that is responsible for such products as Three Olives Vodka and 1800 Tequila, has recently come out with an iPhone application that they happen to be very proud of. The idea is simple, the application will determine your current location and then poof, like magic, it will locate all the bars and restaurants near you that carry Proximo products. Diving deeper into the app, you can read reviews of the establishments, get directions and get drink suggestions as well. Really, the only thing this application can’t do it pour you a drink.

But what about all those rules…

Yes, the advertising of alchoal is highly regulated but with a few smart people on your team it’s easy to invent new and interesting ways to advertise your product. Currently Shipyard Brewing Company is half way there; they have recently launched a Facebook page and are working on a Twitter. Currently, they only distribute their product in 25 states, with a successful blog and a rad iPhone app, they may just be in demand in all 50 states.