Here's another fantastic post by guest blogger Fayettebrew on the outstanding beer scene up in Northwest Arkansas!
Getting Hyped: How Arkansas Brewers Are Using Events to Meet Growing Expectations
The start of the year has seen an
unprecedented level of activity from northwest Arkansas breweries. Whereas in
previous winters it felt like the community would shift into a lower gear after
the new year in terms of events (perhaps waiting on the return of patio weather
and the festival season) there has been no less than eight significant local
beer events since the start of February. Given how relatively fallow this time
of year has been in the past, it has been encouraging to see these events draw
interest. A select few have even garnered some broader exposure.
This exposure comes at a
favorable time for the Arkansas beer and it’s sibling-esque local beer communities as local
beer has become steadfastly ingrained in the ethos of “eat/drink/shop local”
within each community. There is a growing expectation to be able to find local
beer on tap at a local restaurant and festivals of all type regularly
incorporate local brewers as sponsors or vendors. With this increasing
community presence does comes an increased set of expectations. Beer fans in
Arkansas are coming to not only expect access to local beer but also a high
level of quality and variety that matches the national craft beer spectrum.
This elevated set of expectations extends from the beers to the beer events in
our communities as well.
A lot of time is spent
considering how Arkansas beer compares to regional neighbors and national
standard-bearers but it is also worth considering how Arkansas breweries are
managing the elevated expectations for limited releases, special events, and
openings. No longer will the novelty of local beer satisfy the expectations for
a memorable event. Great beer events now need to begin to live up to the hype
the event generates. This is an inevitable positive of living in a growing beer
community. Events should be getting better because interest has grown.
Breweries should be more than comfortable with their identity. They should be confident in engaging the public in how they celebrate their beer.
For the time being, Arkansas may
very well be at a place where a local brewery will get by simply meeting
expectations. There is still a benefit of doubt that exists that grants at
least two or three chances to each brewery. Where Arkansas breweries can begin
to distinguish themselves from each other is hosting events that generate hype
- even on a local level - and then capitalize on that hype by leveraging it
into increased long-term attention on their products. When a brewery leverages
“hype” it emphasizes the story they want to tell through an interactive,
status-worthy experience for its customers. To put it one way: if people are
still posting about the event on their favorite social media network well after
it is over, the event is leveraging its hype.
With this in mind, here are four
observations from attending these events on how Arkansas breweries have
recently leveraged the hype around an event to best fulfill customer
expectations and share their story. (Note: The events referenced likely succeed
because they fit most, if not all, of these observations. When an event is
specified it is because they presented an unique and clear example.)
Embrace Each Type of Customer
Events that create a memorable,
status-worthy experience find a way to embrace all customers - whether they are
new or returning customers. This can be a tricky balance to establish but if a
craft beer fan thinks a certain event would be a good fit for a new-to-craft
friend, then it is probably striking that balance. Even with the growing number
of craft-only customers, the majority of Arkansans are unfamiliar, new, or just
partial to craft beer. And the way craft beer is perceived within our state
goes a long way toward how it is perceived outside of the state.
When a brewery thinks about how
to engage all potential customers, it is taking a beneficial first step toward
leveraging any hype it generates. Recently, the Nutty Runner 5k hosted by Columbus HouseBrewery capitalized on this opportunity. In addition to the standard 5k race -
a distance achievable to new runners and still worthwhile to some year-round
runners - the Nutty Runner 5k featured a division where participants drank one
12 ounce pour of Columbus House’s Nutty Runner Brown Ale after each mile of the
race. Hosted on Active.com and partnered with a local Fleet Feet store, this
event drew a crowd of experienced and novice runners alike in an adventurous,
well organized event. As Columbus House Brewery continues to leverage both the
craft beer and active lifestyle communities in Fayetteville, it should have
more opportunities to grow its still young community presence.
Be Communal With Your Layout, Not Generic
It is easy to set up some jockey boxes in a covered area and have
something resembling a craft beer event. At their worst, these events feel like
a cattle run where beer fans merge from line to line almost implicitly
following the person in front of them in hopes of procuring a fresh beer. While
the line may lead to conversations among those in attendance, these are mostly
happenstance depending on your familiarity with each other or mutual
anticipation for a beer being poured. An alternative to this standardized
assembly line of a beer experience is to create a layout that emphasizes a
communal setting around the dispersal of tasty brews. Whether at a bar, a cookout,
or a bottle share, most of our experiences sharing and talking about craft beer
do not take place in a line. A beer festival or event should be no different.
When a brewery can create an event setting that does not feel like it came
fresh out of the “beer event” starter set, it stands to leverage the experience
into something more memorable beyond the new style experienced or whale finally
captured.
The layout to Frost Fest, the
winter beer festival hosted by Fossil Cove, intentionally disrupted the beer
festival standard and wound up providing a centerpiece for the event. Once you
entered Frost Fest you were not met with an array of tents pouring beer.
Rather, a large tent outfitted with space heaters
and the live music stage welcomed you. The tent was outlined with
sponsors on one edge and some participating breweries on the other. Beyond the
main tent were the aisles of breweries standard to most beer festivals. During
the second half of the fest, as the sun set and air cooled, the crowd was
increasingly soaking in their experiences under the tent; face-to-face in
conversation and celebration rather than in a line, facing the back of
someone’s head. Fossil Cove was hardly revolutionary with the Frost Fest layout
but by going beyond what could be expected from similar festivals in the
community, they set a standard they can routinely provide their fans events in
their taproom or at future editions of Frost Fest.
The Value of Early Information
A customer’s expectations for an
event rarely suffer from knowing: the essence of a rivalry; the genre of music
a band plays; or the particular strengths of a restaurant. Similarly, customers
and fans of a brewery can only benefit from being introduced to what to
anticipate from an event. This is accomplished by the brewery providing
information early and often. When a brewery can get details out so customers
can begin to envision the experience they will have, the brewery creates a
chance to capitalize on expectations. If changes are necessary prior to the
event taking place, it is best to revise any information as early as possible
and confirm the change. The early availability of event information, and
frequent updates, outlines the space the customer experience will take place
in.
In anticipation of demand for the
2016 release of its Bourbon Barrel Double Cream Stout (BDCS), Ozark Beer Company
intentionally crafted its promotion of release events to inform the local and at-large beer communities. In addressing its
“neighbors” and the “beer travelers”, Ozark created avenues to experience the
release of BDCS that were at once familiar to both groups yet tailored to the
ethos Ozark Beer wants to achieve through its work. When demand for case
purchases exceeded initially anticipated levels, Ozark made the
difficult decision of further restricting purchase limits. In announcing the
change, customers were notified over two weeks in advance of the release (and
one day after ticket sales to the private event) with an offer for a refund with
additional compensation. Most importantly, Ozark Beer Company owned the
decision by emphasizing the importance to them to provide the opportunity to
enjoy BDCS to as many neighbors and beer travelers as possible. Rather than
simply turning the quickest profit possible, Ozark leveraged the growing
national hype for BDCS to bring to life “hard work, honest beer”.
Build Expectations Through A Narrative
If event information outlines the customer experience, then an event narrative builds
expectations and fills in the features that distinguish the event. The
narrative can be simple or grand as long as it is 1) consistent and 2)
contributes to the anticipation for the event. An event’s narrative is a lot
like a beer’s can or bottle: it builds expectations by providing a template for
the experience. A beer’s can/bottle provides a template through the visual and
descriptive components of its label. An event’s narrative provides a template
through the visual and descriptive components of its promotion. One of the most
viable assets local breweries have to promote events and build expectations are
the social media platforms that already connect them with their local
community.
While routine posts and updates
regarding fresh releases and small events are an essential part of business,
this is really the new minimum when it comes to beer and social media. If the
local beer message only focuses on new beers, off-premise tastings, and tap
takeovers then the message is always going to compete with regional and national
breweries doing the very same thing - especially in a younger market like
Arkansas. When local breweries share about the intricacies of their process,
the inspiration for their beer, and the intentions behind their events, they
build expectations they can capitalize on when customers visit. In a market
like Arkansas it is important for local brewers to capitalize on the
opportunity for in-person access in a way that out-of-state regional and
national competitors cannot. When it comes to special events, this starts with
the narrative the brewery tells potential guests.
Telling these narratives takes
reiteration with a bit of variation. It takes planning. Simply repeating the
‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ ad nauseum will not cut it because there are
multiple events doing the same thing, across the state, each week. Each of the
events mentioned had narratives that emphasized something more than the beer
that would be filling people’s glasses.
●
When Fossil Cove
announced Frost Fest, they did more than just talk about the unique time of
year for the event. They emphasized the role brewers and brewery
representatives would have serving their beers and interacting with attendees
(rather than having event volunteers doing the pouring).This was a part of the
initial announcements about the event, the local media attention the event garnered, and their social
media marketing efforts on facebook, where they provided daily introductions to
the breweries that would be in attendance. Promoting this aspect was a part of
distinguishing Frost Fest from other events as well as building expectations
for those who were attending.
●
Before Ozark Beer Company’s inviting words to its “beer
travelers”, they started the BDCS narrative with an look at what made the beer
so special to them and their neighbors. That
narrative was shared across multiple
platforms. These videos, stories, and posts
provided an understated emphasis on the interactions and atmosphere Ozark aimed
to achieve through the BDCS release events.
●
Organizing a race like the Nutty Runner 5k for the
first time, Columbus House Brewery kept the plan simple and openly shared how
the experience would likely be a first for everyone involved. A participant cap was established from the beginning along
with the rest of the race details to keep things practical. This also allows
the Columbus House to scale up future versions of the race. By inviting
participants to join on a new adventure with them, Columbus House created a
loose, excited, and informed template for experiencing the Nutty
Runner 5k.
While increased social media use
and attention from local media will give breweries a chance to inform and guide
expectations, the final proof as to whether the event lived up to the hype will
come from the in-person experience. Breweries that define their events in
advance, and give them a narrative, craft expectations they can meet. These
expectations lead to a positive sense of anticipation about how things will
operate which, in turn, frees both the staff and guests to get the most out of
the sense community the event creates. And when that specific event’s narrative
is consistent with the other stories the brewery shares, it inevitably creates
a stronger relationship with the communities it is a part of.
These are by no means the only way
a brewery can create and leverage hype through an event. They are just a few
observations on how some of the growing breweries in the northwest Arkansas
community are attempting to turn growing expectations into hype for the beer
and culture they want to create. In the end, no event may be perfect in its
planning or execution but when the intentionality and effort behind an event
shows, it sure does make it worth the hype.
