Sonas Blog

In 2015 even the Smithsonian was raving about the craft beer craze.

What brands come to mind if asked the question, "Which is the greatest all-time best selling beer?"

Do you think of Budweiser? Perhaps Miller Brewing Company tops your list?

Believe it or not, the best-selling beer of all time is an obscure label from China.

I bet Snow didn't top your list, but it ranks as number one globally for sales with 5.4% of global market share.

What kind of beer marketing strategy is resulting in an explosion of sales for a beer relatively unknown to the public?

It may seem that a good craft beer may need no marketing if it catches the fancy of a few influential beer drinkers.

Not exactly true, however.

The group known as “influencers” are a very important demographic whose attention must be captured but a wider net must also be cast and a lot more people induced to try the product if it is to gain real notoriety and success.

Here are a few ways to accomplish this goal:

As we head into the end of the year, it is time for you and your brewery to start preparing for your next seasonal and holiday promotions.

Fortunately, there are tons of ways for you to capture the attention of curious craft brew fans, while also rewarding your most loyal followers at the same time.

These are some of the top craft beer promotion ideas of the year:

Craft brews are one of this country’s fastest growing markets.

It’s no secret that Americans love their beer, and the past decade has seen phenomenal growth, based in no small part on the marketing efforts of some of our most notable craft brewers.

If you’re looking for marketing inspiration, here are 5 craft beer marketing strategies that can help to turn strangers into loyal consumers.

There is no better way to prepare for an upcoming trade show than setting up trade show appointments to meet your highly-valued contacts.

It gives you the opportunity to target key individuals and prepare a presentation in advance.

It’s like having a prospective client visit your offices in advance; you’d have more time to plan for your presentation and a better chance of making a positive impression.

Participating in a trade show can quickly eat up your marketing budget.

To see any positive returns, you need a well-planned strategy and flawless execution.

Some companies start planning several months before the event, and with good reason. As soon as you get on the exhibition floor, you only have a moment’s glance to grab the attention of attendees.

So, what exactly can you do to create a buzz long before the trade show?

Trade shows are one of the best places to launch a new product. Why... because trade shows give you the opportunity to interact with intended users of the product face-to-face. A chance to watch as a target audience interacts with your new product and gain insight directly from the users; how often do you get that?

Trade shows are also great for product launches because of the extensive media coverage. Often, these events attract a lot of media attention meaning several TV, Radio, Magazine, and Newspaper companies will be there to cover the event. 

To help make the launch successful, here are a few ideas you should consider:

While trade shows are an opportunity to build brand awareness, the main reason businesses participate in these events is to generate leads. You want to get contact information and initiate conversations with people who are likely to become your customers. That’s usually the main aim.

However, capturing leads isn’t as easy as it sounds. Attendees won’t just give you their contact information because you showed up at the event or because your booth looks good. If you want to get their contact details, you need to work for it.

Here are six ideas to consider;

Trade shows can be a great place for your business to start earning a reputation and making connections with customers.

However, the type of connections you form at the booth is often far more telling than the number of interactions you have. A properly planned trade show campaign will allow you to expand upon your current inbound marketing techniques, rather than slipping back into your old low conversion outbound marketing habits.

Trade show marketing should be about forming new relationships, not necessarily making one time sales.  

Stop thinking short term, instead think long term.

Here are some of our thoughts about the mindset of successful trade show exhibitors.