Hey Reader,
I just got back from speaking at the Colorado Brewers Summit - full brain, full heart, no airline travel. ❤️
The keynote? Christopher Shepard, Senior Editor at Beer Marketer’s Insights and one of the smartest voices in the game (lucky to call him my friend as well). He laid out a brilliant state-of-the-industry download:
→ Gen Z myths
→ Consumer behavior truths
→ What’s real vs. interwebs rumors
But we were all in store for a giant mic drop at the end:
“There’s a value perception issue in bev alc right now. No one has time to drink.”
Let that sink in.
We’re out here crafting things meant to be savored, and the very culture we’re selling into is doing everything but slowing down. Scrolls faster. Buys differently. Always on the go. Chugs energy drink.
So when brands tell me “We’re doing all the things and nothing’s working”—this might be why. Here are some things to consider that are probably not on your Bingo card.
- It’s not just your pricing.
- It’s not just your competition.
- It's not that you're not on TikTok (reminder to stop depending on social for sales).
- It’s that the consumer isn’t choosing to slow down and imbibe.
So that’s our job now (amongst other things).
To remind them why they should.
To reconnect social drinking (whatever the form - beer, cider, cocktails, hemp, N/A, etc.) with joy, with pause, with people, with un-wired connection.
And that’s how we build brands with longevity - because it's the ethos of what we do best.
Need help building that message? Book a call with me. I'm not scary. All of my services and pricing are transparently published on my website. Strategic guidance is more affordable than you think and outside eyes are invaluable.
On that note…
I just dropped Episode 10 of This Is Not Your Hobby the Podcast. It kicks off a 2-part Chasing Profitability Series, where I dig into the only two ways to run a better beverage business:
- Cut expenses (that’s Part 1, out now)
- Increase sales (that’s Part 2, coming soon)
You’ve got more control than you think. Let’s use it. Listen now → notyourhobbymarketing.com/podcast or just search me up on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Hang in there - you've got this!
Julie
P.S. If you’re still telling yourself you “can’t afford” $40/month for expert coaching, resources, and biz growth tactics that could literally add thousands to your bottom line…
Cool cool cool. Just know that’s not a budget issue. That’s a priorities issue.
If you're done Googling your way through this, come join the Barrel 2 Business Collective and take the guesswork out of digital marketing, distribution sales, chain business, metrics and business planning. I’m live in there every month, helping real people fix real bottlenecks.
You in? → notyourhobbymarketing.com/barrel-2-business-collective
P.P.S. If you want to hit me with your questions in person or if you will be at any of these events and want to talk shop, here’s where I’ll be.
P.P.P.S. Got a beverage business Bottleneck? Send it in here and I'll tackle it in an upcoming podcast episode!
