Lessons from the front line were presented at Craft Brewer's Pow Wow 2017 in Cape Town. It asks the question, "What is stopping you from selling more beer?".It focuses Beer's Journey after it leaves the brewery and speaks to three themes. Why beer stops you from selling more beer highlights quality control. How beer real estate and route to market cannot be just an after thought. Resources need to be allocated to selling the beer. Thirdly how brewers need to invest in the people. Both consumers and frontline staff need to be enaged in the brand story.
1. I am a foot soldier in the great beer revolution.
I have witnessed the evolution of the revolution from building
Beerhouse On Long in 2013 and another two Beerhouses in
Gauteng.
I have tasted and have been privy to the inner workings of the
industry and have lesson from the frontline that I wish to share.
The POW WOW is about the industry connecting, sharing and
passing of knowledge to improve the industry and therefore
add further to its long term success and I am privileged to be
part of it.
Lessons from the front line
2. Craft Brewers Golden Circle ( based on Simon Sinek’s Golden
Circle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Tw0PGcyN0)
Why: You are passionate about beer
How: You have built a brewery
What: You brew beer
HOW
WHY
HOW
WHAT
Why = The Purpose
What is your cause?
You are passionate about beer
How = The Process
Specify actions taken to realize the why
You have built a brewery
What = The Result
What do you do? The result of Why. Proof
You brew beer
The Craft Brewer’s Golden Circle
4. QUESTION: what is stopping you from selling more beer?
Request the audience turn to the person to your right and
discuss this question. ( if on end then turn to left and join a
group of three. I will be asking you for your feedback.
Then select three from audience to raise one issue or theory
for the above posed question. Use the feedback and thread
into the following topics -
What is
stopping you
from selling
more beer?
5. QUESTION: Yes Beer can stop you from selling more beer? How
does beer stop you from selling more beer.
Poor quality management
Not enough focus is given to the beer journey post leaving the
brewery.
Poor line and tap maintenance.
Education of beer curatorship and understanding that it is a
perishable product. For too long outlets owners and managers
have been baby sat by SAB and are not empowered to take
what really should be their responsibility.
Outlets selling beer that is old.
The consequences of this is dire as we have all heard the horror
stories. “ Its what craft beer tastes like” Puts down the beer to
returns to tried and tested ye old faithful macro lager.
Beer
6. QUESTION: What are the solutions to stop this?
Best before or brewed on Dates added to bottles.
Study BJCP, cicerone and sensory courses - understand beer
faults THEN train outlets on these for early detection.
Regular checking of quality at outlets – I have brewers come in
when delivering and tasting off the tap
Smaller breweries forming a quality co-op team that specialises
in tap and line maintenance.
7. RED OCEAN OR BLUE OCEAN:
Too many breweries are creating a range based on what will
sell. They look at the tried and tested and jump into shark
invested waters were brewers are all fighting for the same
market. Success lies in differentiating your brand through the
beers you brew.
QUESTION: Can anyone name an international brand that you
believed jumped to the right? (Firestone Walker)
What did they do and did that define they success?
8. Known for its Double Barrel Ale, the brewery sets itself apart
with its Firestone Union system based on an 1800s style of
British beer-making. The Burton Union is a recirculating
fermentation system that requires multiple barrels.
Firestone Walker believes it’s the only brewery in the United
States using that method.
The No. 1 reason was local support
trial and error.
perseverance.
9. QUESTION: Can anyone name an local
brand that has jumped to the right?
(Devils Peak)
What did they do and did that define
they success?
Answer: Producing a West Coast Style IPA
when everyone was drinking lager.
The No. 1 reason was local support
trial and error.
perseverance.
10. QUESTION: Why would real estate: shelf space and counter
space stop us from selling more beer?
Brew Pubs – answer to this issue and the cornerstone for the
American success story. Very few and far between in South
Africa.
EG: Afro Caribbean and Copperlake
SO you have a whole lot of beer being made but not many
places to push the volume through. The market has become
cluttered and competition is strong.
I remember when I was first putting a beer menu together. - 99
bottles marketing story
We are starting to see brewers go out of business as there is no
where to sell there beer and the weekend markets is just not
sustainable.
A misunderstanding of how important the route to market and
marketing is providing fatal to many brewing business.
Many brewers focus on the product and neglect the fact that it
actually needs to be sold. Some brewers put to much emphasis
on marketrering and brandings and forget the product. I argue
they are equally important and vital to your business survival.
Real Estate
11. ANSWER: With this rise in number of breweries - The ability to
stand out becomes more difficult, shelf space is harder to come
by and sales even more competitive. What is the solution?
If a great beer was
made in a forest but
no one knew about
it, was it a great
beer?
12. Answer: People
Question: Who are the people involved in selling Beer
volumes?
Frontline Staff
People are essential to your to selling more beer.
Not just customers which is a strong focus of the breweries
marketing clout.
Experience is what people seek now. Access to that experience
is very dependent on how its framed and presented
People
13. QUESTION: How do you
get your beer to stand
out against all the
competition? How does
a consumer choose
between tap A & tap B ?
Is it the well designed
label that exudes your
brands story and
ambitions? Yes it does.
But more powerful is the
the product. Is it the
seductive aromas, the
hallucinogenic hue, the
complex symphony of
flavours and the sensory
mouthfeel? Yes it is.
ANSWER:
This is conveyed by a
A B
14. Curatorship of brand belongs not in your hands but in the
hands that pour the pint or open the bottle.
To insure your brand story is being told correctly, invest in your
outlets , not with coasters and bar mats. You can’t compete
here with macro brewery brands.
Your investment in your brand story and image gets told
through the people.
This is micro-brewing secret weapon.
Train and incentivize these people
15. The power of a small incentive.
Case of beer = 300% increase– during incentive and 30%
increase.
That from one case investment.
Maximum long term traction
The power of a low cost incentive
16. The other people – THE CONSUMERS
Choice and variety can be complex and negatively effect the
experience. We have seen that at Beerhouse. Panic descsions
etc etc.
QUESTION: What is the best way to inform consumer?
ANSWER: Education:. Consumer education is key. It takes a
village to raise a child. Its takes a beer community to educate
the consumer. We are in our infancy and so are our consumers.
We need to allocate continual resources to training, nurturing
and educating.
IDEAS:
Eben from Mad Giant (JHB) – paying for outlet staff to take
Cicerone Certified Beer Server course
Providing menu builders with bite size information that is not
standard tasting note typical of wine, that can be included in
restaurant and bar menus.
Free tastings at bars hosted by brewers
Open days at breweries for consumers
League of beers is a great example of providing variety
packaged with information and education through physical info
and online tasting league.
“Life is like a
League of
Beers box, you
just never know
what you going
to get next”.
17. Top 10 tap sales at Beerhouse On
Long April.
RED SKY PALE ALE
CBC PILSNER
LIEFMANS FRUITESSE
DEVILS PEAK PALE ALE
KOPPARBERG
APOLLO BLONDE
CBC AMBER WEISS
BLACK LABEL
CASTLE LITE
JACK BLACK LAGER
18. New Craft Brewers Golden Circle
Why: You are passionate about making good beer
How: By focusing on the beer’s journey after it leaves
the brewery
What: Educating consumers and frontline staff through
training and incentives.
New Craft Brewers Golden Circle
Why: You are passionate about making
good beer
How: By focusing on the beer’s journey
after it leaves the brewery
What: Educating consumers and frontline
staff through training and incentives.
WHY
HOW
WHAT
Why = The Purpose
What is your cause?
Educating consumers and frontline staff
through training and incentives.
How = The Process
Specify actions taken to realize the why
By focusing on beer’s journey after it leaves
the brewery
What = The Result
What do you do? The result of Why. Proof
Selling volumes of quality beer
The Craft Brewer’s Golden Circle
19. And that ladies and gentlemen is how you get your beer up the
mountain.
Lets sell more beer
www.beerwhisperer.co.za
Notes de l'éditeur
I am a foot soldier in the great beer revolution.
I have witnessed the evolution of the revolution from building Beerhouse On Long in 2013 and another two Beerhouses in Gauteng.
I have tasted and have been privy to the inner workings of the industry and have lesson from the frontline that I wish to share.
The POW WOW is about the industry connecting, sharing and passing of knowledge to improve the industry and therefore add further to its long term success and I am privileged to be part of it.
Craft Brewers Golden Circle ( based on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Tw0PGcyN0)
Why: You are passionate about beer
How: You have built a brewery
What: You brew beer
“Sorry Simon I am going to cut you off right now.
QUESTION: what is stopping you from selling more beer?
Request the audience turn to the person to your right and discuss this question. ( if on end then turn to left and join a group of three. I will be asking you for your feedback.
Then select three from audience to raise one issue or theory for the above posed question. Use the feedback and thread into the following topics -
QUESTION: Yes Beer can stop you from selling more beer? How does beer stop you from selling more beer.
Poor quality management
Not enough focus is given to the beer journey post leaving the brewery.
Poor line and tap maintenance.
Education of beer curatorship and understanding that it is a perishable product. For too long outlets owners and managers have been baby sat by SAB and are not empowered to take what really should be their responsibility.
Outlets selling beer that is old.
The consequences of this is dire as we have all heard the horror stories. “ Its what craft beer tastes like” Puts down the beer to returns to tried and tested ye old faithful macro lager.
QUESTION: What are the solutions to stop this?
Best before or brewed on Dates added to bottles.
Study BJCP, cicerone and sensory courses - understand beer faults THEN train outlets on these for early detection.
Regular checking of quality at outlets – I have brewers come in when delivering and tasting off the tap
Smaller breweries forming a quality co-op team that specialises in tap and line maintenance.
RED OCEAN OR BLUE OCEAN:
Too many breweries are creating a range based on what will sell. They look at the tried and tested and jump into shark invested waters were brewers are all fighting for the same market. Success lies in differentiating your brand through the beers you brew.
QUESTION: Can anyone name an international brand that you believed jumped to the right? (Firestone Walker)
What did they do and did that define they success?
Change Slide
Known for its Double Barrel Ale, the brewery sets itself apart with its Firestone Union system based on an 1800s style of British beer-making. The Burton Union is a recirculating fermentation system that requires multiple barrels.
Firestone Walker believes it’s the only brewery in the United States using that method.
The No. 1 reason was local support
trial and error.
perseverance.
QUESTION: Can anyone name an local brand that has jumped to the right? (Devils Peak)
What did they do and did that define they success?
Answer: Producing a West Coast Style IPA when everyone was drinking lager.
The No. 1 reason was local support
trial and error.
perseverance.
QUESTION: Why would real estate: shelf space and counter space stop us from selling more beer?
Brew Pubs – answer to this issue and the cornerstone for the American success story. Very few and far between in South Africa.
EG: Afro Caribbean and Copperlake
SO you have a whole lot of beer being made but not many places to push the volume through. The market has become cluttered and competition is strong.
I remember when I was first putting a beer menu together. - 99 bottles marketing story
We are starting to see brewers go out of business as there is no where to sell there beer and the weekend markets is just not sustainable.
A misunderstanding of how important the route to market and marketing is providing fatal to many brewing business.
Many brewers focus on the product and neglect the fact that it actually needs to be sold. Some brewers put to much emphasis on marketrering and brandings and forget the product. I argue they are equally important and vital to your business survival.
ANSWER: With this rise in number of breweries - The ability to stand out becomes more difficult, shelf space is harder to come by and sales even more competitive. What is the solution?
Answer: People
Question: Who are the people involved in selling Beer volumes?
Frontline Staff
People are essential to your to selling more beer.
Not just customers which is a strong focus of the breweries marketing clout.
Experience is what people seek now. Access to that experience is very dependent on how its framed and presented.
QUESTION: How do you get your beer to stand out against all the competition? How does a consumer choose between tap A & tap B ?
Is it the well designed label that exudes your brands story and ambitions? Yes it does.
But more powerful is the the product. Is it the seductive aromas, the hallucinogenic hue, the complex symphony of flavours and the sensory mouthfeel? Yes it is.
ANSWER:
This is conveyed by a person that is emotionally invested in your brand.
Curatorship of brand belongs not in your hands but in the hands that pour the pint or open the bottle.
To insure your brand story is being told correctly, invest in your outlets , not with coasters and bar mats. You can’t compete here with macro brewery brands.
Your investment in your brand story and image gets told through the people.
This is micro-brewing secret weapon.
Train and incentivize these people
The power of a small incentive.
Case of beer = 300% increase– during incentive and 30% increase.
That from one case investment.
Maximum long term traction
The other people – THE CONSUMERS
Choice and variety can be complex and negatively effect the experience. We have seen that at Beerhouse. Panic descsions etc etc.
QUESTION: What is the best way to inform consumer?
ANSWER: Education:. Consumer education is key. It takes a village to raise a child. Its takes a beer community to educate the consumer. We are in our infancy and so are our consumers. We need to allocate continual resources to training, nurturing and educating.
IDEAS:
Eben from Mad Giant (JHB) – paying for outlet staff to take Cicerone Certified Beer Server course
Providing menu builders with bite size information that is not standard tasting note typical of wine, that can be included in restaurant and bar menus.
Free tastings at bars hosted by brewers
Open days at breweries for consumers
League of beers is a great example of providing variety packaged with information and education through physical info and online tasting league.
Top 10 tap sales at Beerhouse On Long April.
New Craft Brewers Golden Circle
Why: You are passionate about making good beer
How: By focusing on the beer’s journey after it leaves the brewery
What: Educating consumers and frontline staff through training and incentives.
And that ladies and gentlemen is how you get your beer up the mountain.