Beer Business Basics: Occasional Drinking
Occasional drinking isn’t a ‘once in a while’ thing, but an ‘every time’ thing; here’s why
The English Language is fun. Occasional Drinking doesn’t refer to infrequently drinking, but instead describes drinking in conjunction with a specific occasion. With this definition in mind, being the preferred beer for a given occasion can be critical for success, and also help you define your brand. Some great examples of a single brand owning an occasion are Corona being the beer you drink on the beach and Guinness as the beer for St. Patrick’s Day. Other occasions have strong affiliations with beers, such as marzens during Oktoberfest, pumpkin spice everything in the fall, a beer at the baseball game, or regional traditions like standing in line for the Goose Island Bourbon County stout.
Many of these occasions were built by years of cultural tradition, consumer trends, or millions (sometimes billions) of ad dollars. While performing well for established and widespread drinking occasions is important, so is selecting a few ‘grounded,’ day-to-day occasions to win. Let’s take a look at three ‘daily’ occasions and how breweries/beverage companies try to win these.
From Dry River Brewing: Link
Brunch
Culture demands we have beverages with our brunch. These beverages are typically bloody marys and mimosas, but rosé, micheladas, even Hennessy are trying to lay claim to this occasion.
Brunch is usually a ‘fancy’ occasion; one where people get dressed up, spend time with friends, and luxuriate in their day. It’s a mini-holiday that can happen every week, and associating your beers with brunch can be a way to suggest that your beverage is a bit of luxury or a way to relax.
Hennessy can also be a brunch beverage: Link
Camping and Hiking
I love camping, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and outdoor activities. For some people, camping is just going to a wooded area and drinking with friends. Often, when backpacking, people bring spirits, as they’re high in ABV (you need to pack in less weight/volume) and are fine at room temperature. Hiking and casual camping is a bit more forgiving with many rewarding hikes that are only a few hours, so a cold beverage, or even a cooler is possible. Several beers and ciders would like to win this occasion and build their image as part of an active lifestyle. This also helps a brand appear more ‘rugged,’ relatable, or even showcase their regional roots (think of redwoods signaling ‘California’ or cypress trees signaling ‘Florida’)
Sports
One of the biggest occasions is sports. People willingly (even if begrudgingly) pay as much as $19.25 for a beer at a baseball game (source: Sports Illustrated). Notably, some beers are only available at the stadium (Veza Sur in Miami, NY Mets’ on-site Mikkeller brewery, or Barrelman Ale in Milwaukee). Outside of baseball, there’s Saint Archer’s roots in skateboarding, Natural Light sponsoring the Big 12 conference, and Red Bull’s heavy involvement with extreme sports.
Throwing a watch party for the local team, offering discounts based on the outcome of a game, collecting used sporting equipment to benefit local youth teams, or simply putting your product in the hands of athletes or spectators can build the association and shape your brand image.
Mikkeller’s Brooklyn Citi Field beer: Source
Are you in it to win it?
Winning an occasion is great! If you’re someone’s go-to beach beer, every time they go to the beach, you make a sale. If baseball in your town means it’s time for one of your beers, you can move a lot of beer and that can fund growth, pay down debt, or help launch new products. By showcasing occasions that your beers complement, you can ‘teach’ consumers how to enjoy your beers or stay top-of-mind.
Not every occasion will be part of someone’s life, yet the occasions you showcase your product in can still be useful. Very few of us jump out of balloons from record breaking heights, but Red Bull’s sponsorship of this activity strengthens their ‘extreme’ image. Similarly, not all consumers skateboard or surf, but if they want a ‘California beer,’ Saint Archer’s SoCal roots might make them choose their Mexican lager over one of the many available competitors. Lastly, while most of our meals may be more functional than glamorous, a beautifully set table, complete with Funky Buddha beer may elevate their beer to something worthy of high quality foods or your next dining experience.