Summer is our slow time. With people out at the lakes and St. Cloud State without students, we just don't see the numbers we do in the fall and winter. But, I gotta tell you things have been pretty good lately. Beer is selling well and I'm brewing a good bit lately.
I still do not feel people in the area really know they have a craft brewery in town yet. Some of that is our fault, having a limited advertising budget as a new business. I've tried to get some interest from the local paper, but they do not seem to care there is a brewery in their town. Sad, considering the rich brewing history this town has. I suppose we will have to bite the bullet and do some advertising with them to get their interest. to bad it has to be that way.
Central Minnesota just doesn't have the beer culture the Twin Cities has, but I'm doing what I can to change that. I keep telling my self-one person at a time and it will come. This is my matra.
Fall is looking really good with the students coming back to town and people coming home from their cabins. We now have over 500+ growlers out in circulation and folks are coming back for refills, so things look good there also. I'm looking into growler deliveries starting next spring, but I have many details to work out. I'd like to deliver on my bike if possible to promote the "green" thingy. Not sure I can pull that off though. Peace Coffee delivers by bike in the cities and I really like that model. We'll see. Any other ideas you beer lovers may have? Let me know-I'd love to hear them.
5 comments:
Definitely advertising with the Times would help you get a story. Even just a few ads, without buying into a package, should help. Go for it!
Skip the newspaper advertising. You need to look at who your target audience is, which I would assume would be the 21 to 40 age group. I would highly suggest going the route of radio advertising - find a station that that age group listens to. Get a schedule that runs at least 4 to 8 commercials a day - you should see results, especially if you also drive people to your webpage in those commercials as well. It might be a little costly initially, but you have to remember your return on investment.
Are you guys advertising at the Co Op? Might be a clientele more appreciative of craft brewing....
Thanks for the ideas. Jen, do you mean in their newsletter?
Perhaps you could have a couple sets of car magnets printed. Wherever you or other designated people drive, your ad goes. I recently had some made for staff to use for identification when visiting families; they were about $75/pair (about 18" x 24"). Also, what about bumper stickers/window decals(maybe limited edition with purchase of a growler?)
Also, if you go for the radio ads, perhaps ypu could write & sing your own little jingle...we know you can do that!
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